Banh Mi Women: A Vibrant Celebration of Asian Sisterhood in Paris

Editorial team
Oct 8
4 min read

From 9 to 31 October 2025, Paris will be lit up in the colours of Asian sisterhood with the very first Banh Mi Women festival, a unique initiative celebrating Asian women. A veritable hymn to diversity, creativity and resilience, the festival shines the spotlight on voices that are often invisible in the public arena, offering an inclusive, intergenerational space to meet, exchange ideas and get inspired.

The choice of date is not insignificant: 20 October celebrates Women's Day in Vietnam, a symbolic day marking the historic founding of the Vietnam Women's Union in 1930, an organisation set up to defend women's rights under French colonisation. Over the years, this date has become a moment of cultural and social recognition for Vietnamese women. Banh Mi Women extends this tradition by giving it a contemporary resonance, particularly in the French context, where Asian women are seeking to take their place.

A multidisciplinary and inclusive festival

Banh Mi Women combines committed conferences, film screenings, creative walks, empowerment workshops, photo exhibitions, artistic performances and food stalls. The festival offers a rich and varied experience combining culture, artistic expression and well-being. Themes include discussions on female leadership and the transmission of cultural heritages, as well as workshops on Chinese astrology, Thai boxing, yoga and motional liberation.

Launched by Linda Nguon, a Frenchwoman of Vietnamese-Cambodian origin, the event is part of a drive for visibility and empowerment. The Banh Mi collective, created by Linda, has over 30 members who produce media content (podcasts, videos, reports) aimed at promoting Asian identities in Europe. The festival is also a bridge that brings together different generations and disciplines around shared values such as solidarity, representation and creativity.

A Necessary Cultural and Social Dialogue

Banh Mi Women is more than just a festival; it is a space for dialogue and the construction of a plural identity. By giving a voice to these women from Asian diasporas, it deconstructs stereotypes and inspires an entire community. In so doing, it is contributing to a renewal of French representations of diversity and to the emergence of an intercultural feminism rooted in multiple histories and heritages.

With between 500 and 5,000 people expected to attend, the festival promises to be a high point of exchange and celebration, bringing together artists, intellectuals, activists and the general public around a message of hope, solidarity and creativity.

This initiative, spearheaded by Linda Nguon, is a breath of fresh air on the Parisian cultural scene, giving asio-descendant women their rightful place, in all their complexity and richness. It's an invitation to discover, understand and celebrate this multi-faceted sisterhood.

A Week of Inspiration and Creativity

On Friday 10 October, the festival is hosting an inspiring breakfast at the Institut Français, with president Eva Nguyen Binh, to discuss the transmission and representation of asio-descendant women in exchanges between France and Asia.

On Saturday 11 October, Ground Control will be hosting a creative pop-up from midday to midnight, with a market of female designers, several free workshops, exhibitions (including Asidentits and Humans of Chinatown), a Vietnamese café, yoga sessions and a musical atmosphere with DJ sets. The day is a true celebration of cultural heritage through art and creativity, with a wide range of activities for all ages.

Screenings and lectures on Reinventing Narratives

On Tuesday 14 October, at Les 3 Luxembourgs cinema, the evening will be devoted to a screening of Mai Hua's ‘May Day’, followed by a discussion with the director. This film looks at the creation of new imaginary worlds in which Asian and racialised women are no longer relegated to the periphery, but become the centre of narratives.

On Saturday 18 October, the Fondation des Femmes will be holding a series of lectures at La Cité Audacieuse from 2pm to 9pm, including discussions on asio-descendant motherhood, cultural injunctions and the rebirth of identity. Speakers include actress Claire Tran, activist midwife Cathy Nguyen and illustrator Mlody Ung. Another panel deals with ‘Women's superpowers’, a feminist reflection by authors, film-makers and journalists, including Linda Nguon, founder of the collective.

A Day of Meetings for Empowerment

On Saturday 25 October, the 13th arrondissement town hall will be opening its doors to a day of meetings from 2pm to 9pm. On the programme: a market of creative women, association stands, free workshops, talks and screenings. The main theme is sisterhood and empowerment, with discussions to encourage Asian women to dare to take their place. The Asiattitudes association is running a workshop on writing Asian female identities to change representations, while a review of the fight against anti-Asian racism is being presented in partnership with the AJCF. Two documentaries, ‘Asidentits’ by Thu-An Duong and ‘Les Rivières’ by Mai Hua, will be screened to provide food for thought.

Closing in style

On Wednesday 29 October, the Cinéma Club is hosting a screening of ‘Her Story’ by Shao Yihui, followed by a debate with asio-descendant women directors, who will be sharing their experiences on how to change representations in cinema.

A committed and inclusive festival

Beyond the diversity of its artistic forms and social themes, Banh Mi Women aims to be an inclusive space, open to all, regardless of origin, with a particular focus on intergenerational transmission. The festival celebrates not only Asian cultural heritage, but also the struggles and achievements of women from the diaspora, providing a valuable space for listening, dialogue and creation.

To further encourage involvement in Parisian cultural life, a Festival Pass gives access to special offers from partner designers and venues, promoting a circular economy around Asian women's initiatives.

The Banh Mi Women festival is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone interested in discovering an often overlooked facet of cultural diversity in Paris, carried by strong, committed and inspiring voices. It's a plunge into the heart of a plural sisterhood that is reinventing the contemporary Asian narrative with talent and passion.