“Archives at Risk: Protecting the World’s Identities – Memories of Indochina”

Screening on Monday 2 November

Under the Eye of Buddha, Duoi Mat Phat Thich Ca Mau Ni
France. 1923. Black and white and tinted. Silent with French caption cards. 44 minutes. Fiction
Director: Joyeux, A.
Production society: Service Cinématographique du Gouvernement General
Summary: In the country of Ranghoi, a young boy called Ly works reluctantly for his father, who is a sculptor. One day he leaves his family to join a travelling theatre company. Four years later, Prefect Trân welcomes the Annamese comedians. Ly, who has become the lead actor, falls in love with the prefect’s daughter Thi Mang. He arranges a rendezvous with her but gets arrested and is exiled from the country. As he wanders alone and sick in the mountains, an elephant hunter called Minh finds him and offers him a chance to die for a noble cause. He has to free General Qué, prisoner of King Sisophong. Ly gets arrested and is sentenced to death while trying. But General Qué finally escapes and leads an army to capture Sisophong’s son. He releases Ly and appoints him mandarin. Prefect Trân finally agrees to let Ly marry his daughter.

Kids of Indochina
France. 1936. Black and white. Sound film. 15 minutes. Docu-fiction
Director: Braun, Joseph
Production society:
Summary: Indochina, in a small rural village in the Bay of Saigon. Children are swimming and playing at war while their parents work in the rice fields.

In Indochina
France. 1928. Black and white. Silent with French caption cards. 9 minutes. Non- fiction
Direction: Sarasin, Régnault
Production society: Régnault-Sarasin
Summary: During the winter of 1924, Swiss painter Régnault Sarasin and some friends take a trip to Indochina. From Saigon, they go to Cambodia by boat. They sail alongside the Mekong bank and discover the traditional celebrations. Then they discover Angkor Wat by elephant.

Huê, Imperial City
France. 1942. Black and white. Sound film. 9 minutes. Non-fiction
Director: Thomasset, René
Production society: Francol Film
Summary: In 1938, the meeting place of the settlers in Huê is located in Morin‘s street. The hotel of the same name is also a well-known place for Europeans where state employees, businessmen and travellers meet. A visit of the city by rickshaw takes us from the war memorial to the Imperial Palace of His Majesty Bao Dai. The trip continues on the Perfumed River. At nightfall, we cross the steel bridge and go back to the European district.

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  • November 2, 2015 · 5:00 pm
  • Bophana Center
  • Special Screening