Through Vietlish, Vietnamese Storycubes, Vietnamese Storyexchange and other things, this year's personal explorations have taken me from short mock "Hot Bread Shop" and now "Vietnamese Mosaic".
I think I started this short mini vox pop to see if I could mash up a video piece that merged the generational voices of the Vietnamese community in Sydney, Australia. From young to old, from being a poet to a former gangster, why can't stories from parts of the community emerge and be told?
Last week it got screened at the 2011 Australian Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival. It never made it to the official selection (due to it lateness), but was appreciated by most except for some old school cringes and questionings as to why I would chose such people for interviews.
"Why don't you interview our famous Vietnamese doctors or lawyers?" a lady asked.
"We don't want people to think our community is bad" said another.
"What about the bad things in Vietnam that is happening. Why don't you do a topic on that?" added another.
"You have to be careful, Maria, you are bright and very talented. You are strong like a man. But be careful not to get brainwashed and start making films and projects that offend the greater community. Remember...think about our community.."
If there was a better time to say it, I would have responded "Lol" or the my translated version "Ra cười lớn".
Vietnamese community and the arts and culture section of our lives are highly underdevelopment, and often just fence sitting. The ones that really kick you and in the balls and stand out (e.g – Charlie Nguyen’s Vietnam’s first action flick “The Rebel”) and others that pushes thoughts gets the red crosses all over it. I recall in 2009 when Vietlish held a forum that had a number of panellist’s written thoughts (Khoa Do, Ham Tran & Charlie Nguyen), Mr Nguyen’s comments about the film industry was objected by one of the Vietnamese Community of Australia as being “brainwashed” and the community fears of the next generation being lured back to Vietnam and their wrongdoings. You know the story. Then the same kinds of conversations drag through, lots of finger pointing and *tsking*.
Overall picture, the Vietnamese community outside the country are like a person who cannot let go of the past. A person who holds onto the pain and suffering, takes for granted the present and projects their anxieties and fears for the future of the generations.
This fear tactic, in turn, pushes the gap of the generations a part. Setting the “us” versus “them” mentality. The younger gen retaliates by disengaging in their own communities and begins a life of apathy. Sounds a bit much? But I’ve seen this happen. There is no interest in learning about your own culture if there are so many hoops to define who you are.
Yes you should be proud to be Vietnamese but not the bad types of Vietnamese. Like giving to charities in Vietnam, visiting the country or working there. But yes you are allow to be “face-value” proud to be Vietnamese, especially when dealing with white people.
Imagine how you explain this to a kid. Confusion = disengagement. Also, what is with the kafuffle? In 2175, 100 years onwards, would anyone really care? Or would be Vietnamese culture be retold as some sort of mythical creature.
