The Empathizer Doc Afterparty ft. Embarrassed by Night Showcase

Join us for the official afterparty of The Empathizer documentary in Downtown San Jose at Art Builds Community on Sunday, February 15, 2026 from 4:30PM - 8PM. We are excited to host an evening program with director Fred Le as he premiers his hometown screening of his documentary at The Tech Interactive.

Featuring:

• Meet Fred Le, Film Director of The Empathizer documentary
• Food for sale by Hết Sẩy
• Embarrassed By Night - an all-Vietnamese American line-up of music, poetry, and comedy.

Tickets: $20 Online / $25 Door / Space is limited.

NOTE ON VENUE:

Art Builds Community is located in the back of MACLA, please use the entrance on E William Street between S 1st and S 2nd Street across from San Jose Stage. Look for the gray garage roll-up door on the pink building. You can map 510 S 1st street San Jose, CA 95113. PLEASE DO NOT enter through MACLA's front entrance.

MORE INFO:

The Empathizer - Shot over two weeks in Saigon and Hanoi, The Empathizer is a feature length documentary featuring over twenty second-generation immigrant Việt Kiều sharing their journeys back to Vietnam and the ripples that their reverse immigration may have caused among their families. The project takes a look at the effects of wartime trauma through the eyes of the children of refugees, a generation removed from the events which led to their parents’ escape from Vietnam yet deeply shaped by the circumstances of their birth. Buy tickets to view The Empathizer hometown premiere at The Tech Interactive

Embarrassed by Night - Created in 2022 by Bay Area-native comics Fred Le and Andy Van, Embarrassed by Night is a touring comedy show that combines standup, music, and sketch to all types of venues to spread love of the Vietnamese culture through laughs and tunes. The show pays loving homage to "Paris by Night", the spectacular Vietnamese variety show whose ubiquitous video tapes played a major part in our immigrant upbringings. -

Art Builds Community - A new gallery/event space and home to a women-led public art planning, consulting, policy, curation, and placemaking, and community engagement firm that brings critical thinking and artists' perspectives to the creative design of cities, buildings, and infrastructure.

Hết Sẩy- Flavors of Southern Vietnam, Mekong Delta vibe, authentically ESSJ. Hết Sẩy weaves together local produce, traditional techniques, and flavor infused childhood memories to serve vibrant and harmonious dishes from the Mekong Delta with distinct San Jose style.

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