Dance Meets Mental Health Care: A Vietnam Dance Movement Therapy Film, Vietnam
Mar 18, 2026
Four grassroots, community-led mental health organisations
A team of 25 creatives across five countries unite
One story.
Countless ways to care.
What Makes You Proud: How Communities Care for Mental Health is a globally collaborative film sharing the stories of four grassroots, community-led organisations across Nigeria, Palestine, Colombia, and Vietnam.
This blog series shines a spotlight on each of the community-based mental health initiatives (CBMHIs) featured in the film What Makes You Proud: How Communities Care for Mental Health.
While the film brings their stories together across continents, this series takes a closer look, highlighting each organisation’s work, their journey, their hopes for the film, and the creative teams who helped bring their stories to life.
Watch the trailer of the film here.
Presenting Vietnam Dance/ Movement Therapy, Vietnam (VDMT)
My journey into community mental health was inspired by witnessing the silence, isolating effects of trauma and the lack of safe, creative spaces for healing. Dance gave me back joy and vitality, and I wanted to offer that same embodied, non-verbal language to others. I believe that dance/ movement is not just art—it is medicine for connection, resilience, and life.”
Founder, Minh Bui
VDMT's Aspirations for the Film:
Through this film, Founder Minh Bui wishes to convey,
“Each of us carries hidden stories, and every story matters. Dance is a universal language that allows us to honour those stories and express truths that words alone cannot. My message is simple: trust your body’s wisdom. Through dance, we can open a window to change, authenticity, self-compassion, and connection, also called dance therapy. Above all, I hope this reminds us of the importance of caring for our mental health, because a healthy mind and a connected body are the foundation of a meaningful life”
Vietnam Dance/Movement Therapy (VDMT), founded in 2015 by Minh Bui, is Vietnam’s pioneering organisation that promotes mental health care and wellbeing through Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT). They provide tailored holistic care that nurtures the social, mental, and spiritual health of diverse groups, including war veterans, students, survivors of domestic violence, cancer patients, and the elderly, tailoring support to each community’s needs. Discover more about them here.
The film showcases how VDMT works closely with families, schools, hospitals, community centres and global artists such as cellist Bryan Charles. They blend Eastern and Western practices, creative arts, Dance/Movement therapy, and live music, using movement as medicine to foster healing, self-awareness, and collective wellbeing across Vietnam. Follow their work on Facebook here.
The Team Behind the Story
The Vietnam segment was filmed by Trung Imai and My Huynh from the Một Bữa No team
Which moments stood out to you the most during the shoot of the film?
When we filmed with elderly patients at the hospital. If filming with children makes us feel hopeful about the future, then watching old people smile and dance, on the other hand, gives us faith in being able to heal the past.”
Beyond the Film: Strengthening their Story and Visibility
Footage from the film shoot has also supported VDMT’s organisational visibility. The team has used material from the project to launch their new website, helping them present their work and story to a wider audience.
The relationship between Minh and the film team has also continued beyond the project. Building on the original footage, they collaborated on an additional documentary focused specifically on Minh’s personal journey into the mental health sector.
‘What Makes You Proud’ film features three other CBMHIs from Nigeria, Palestine, and Colombia. Watch the full film here.