Filmmaker animated their childhood trauma — but ended up accidentally healing the family

Célin Do spent most of their childhood trying to make their parents proud of them. Year after year, they dragged on, chasing their parents' dream until they finally found their passion in filmmaking. Amidst personal turmoil, Célin began recording tidbits of their life, not realizing that they were, in fact, capturing the trauma that would eventually help fix their relationship with themself and their family. The filmmaker posted an Instagram video on August 4, 2025, capturing their parents' reaction to their docuseries "Crazy Broke Asian."

"You spend 3 years animating your childhood trauma... and accidentally heal your family," they said, reflecting on the moment. Growing up, Célin didn't share a great relationship with their parents. In fact, they felt like nobody understood them. Depicting that emotion, the filmmaker re-created a scene where the lead leaves home after a serious argument with their parents. After the film was over, Célin asked their mom if she liked it, and she said, "I find it very good and so touching. It makes me want to cry." When asked about the scene that broke her the most, she mentioned the one where the protagonist packs their backpack and leaves home. Notably, the six-part docuseries follows the life of Célin and their struggle growing up with undiagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a Vietnamese refugee household. "This project is for every first-gen kid who felt like they were breaking apart inside just trying to survive," they told NextShark. "Along the way, I (Célin) found healing with my family. My parents and estranged sister joined the team to help others do the same," the filmmaker added in the official trailer. It is pertinent to mention that the docuseries is currently seeking crowdfunding to support production.

While discussions around mental health have been on the rise in recent years, many households still fail to acknowledge and talk about it. In fact, many don't even share what they feel with their families because they fear that they won't be understood. Similarly, parents who don't understand mental health refrain from talking about it with kids. For instance, a poll of more than 1,100 parents found that more than 50% of parents in England have never spoken to their children about stress, anxiety, or depression. Meanwhile, reacting to Célin's Instagram reel, @ericchungnz commented, "Bravo. It's those stories that come from pain and adversity that carry the strongest messages. You should be very proud of your accomplishments, but more importantly, your journey. Also, your story resonates deeply with me as the child of Vietnamese refugees."

@lace_n_lore wrote, "Your sensitivity was meant to bring healing and repair not only to you but to the whole family. I have been that 'crazy' restless child, running away and losing myself in bad decisions until I finally got to do the inner work and heal myself, which then reflected on all my family. Now I’m doing my best to break the cycle of family trauma and raise my kids differently, while living off my art and sharing all this with the most amazing and supportive man, my husband, who also happens to be an artist." @brandonatucker said, "This is genius. People animated their or someone's tragic backstory just like anime. Now this is something that I’m into, but I’m really sorry for the people who have been through hard times and struggles, but it’s really a good message to share their stories because maybe there are people who have been through the same experiences."

You can follow Célin do (@crazybr0keasian) on Instagram for more film-related content.

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