More information on Vinn Lyee, one of the many character in 'Ben&J's: On Gangs'

1. CHARACTER PROFILE – VIIN LYEE
CHARACTER PROFILE – VIIN LYEE 10B.TRANT
Background
Viin Lyee is of Vietnamese decent from his mother, though his
father was English. Viin Lyee moved to England after he graduated
from Saigon University in 1994, leaving with degrees in farming,
agriculture and diplomacy. He moved to Poole in order to work on
a small patch of land, where he grew commodities for the CHC
gang, as well as trading at Wimborne Marketplace on alternate
Sundays.
After several months of farming for the CHC, the ‘Seven Year War’
broke out between 2keys and the CHC. Viin was in the mists of it,
becoming a prime target, as he transported goods in and out of
verity and beamish park.
A week after the war started, Viin’s farm located in Verity Park
was torched by handmade petrol bombs, fused with monster and
ciggy butts. Police were called to the scene but failed to make
arrests. Viin escaped with only his hat and a handful of cash, after
various attempts to reclaim his land he gave up and tried new
places for cultivation and opportunity.
In 2012, Viin applied for a caretaker job role at the evolving school
in the area, Magna Academy. He agreed to work nights, and was
given a small patch of land, where he grew coffee, sugar and
grapes for the summer. Operating independently, he maintained
strong ties with ex-CHC members like Frank Cmonth’n and Jake
Stanley. By continuing to trade with the CHC, Viin put his life in
grave danger when appearing in ‘On Gangs’ with 2Keys still
looking for him.
Personality
Viin Lyee is a smart and cunning
character, loyal to those who pay
him respect and is highly
honourable. With a superior
knowledge of cultivation, comes his
ability to pick out the best
opportunities for himself and
friends. In the past, he has been able
to help out British Farmers with
wheat parasites, as well as problems
with pig breeding.
Age: 27
Occupation: Care taker/Farmer
Home: Nhà Phố, Cranbourne.
Origins: Vietnam
Spouse: Unknown
Children: None
Nationality: British
Family:
Gary – Trader, Brother
Susan – Trader, Sister
Actor: Tom Burden/Guy Southam
Role
Viin Lyee will play the convincing part of
the mysterious helper, someone whose
background is briefly detailed by with
implications of a much deeper history.
Throughout the programme, Viin will be
showing Ben and J his lifestyle along with
what he did during the ‘Seven Year War’.
He will also give his opinion on gang crime,
explaining how the gangs operate in the
local area.
The cast will follow Viin to his home town
Nhà Phố, located in the wilderness of east
Dorset’s Cranbourne. There, we will tour
the village that Viin now calls home.
He will be underling actual issues in the
local community, along with fictional
concerns of his about the 2Keys re-
emergence and the scrutiny facing the
drug industry.
Representation
Viin Lyee will be a character who conforms to the well-established
yet mis-representational stereotypes of Vietnamese people. He
knows how to farm and is extremely friendly with Ben and J. There
are however negative stereotypes, such as his relations to gang
culture and participation in illegal activities. Despite the genre, we
knew that it would be very risky to use such stereotypes about such
cultures, however we ensured that as a character, Viin was a
respected, important and gentle character who, despite his flaws,
ultimately offers a positive representation of his culture.