inside Hanoi
Yesterday I met up with Phan Y Ly, the director of samestuff theatre. We had a good wide ranging discussion about our passions in theatre and what issues concern us about the Vietnamese community both here and overseas. Ly said that Overseas Vietnamese are in a time capsule caught up about 40-50 years ago, and the war is still a constant reminder to them unlike in Hanoi. She was born in 1981 and the war is something that she says affected her parents not her. Her reflections on the overseas Viet community is that the older generation feel helpless and so lash out even without provacation. She was stunned to hear about the protests against SBS when they had Viet news and the reaction against the performing troupes that come to Australia. The underground theatre scene here seems very contemporary, but they only perform in places like the Goethe Institute and the british council they do not perform in public. She commented that to get anything with official approval to perform here you need to know the top people otherwise the middle men will sting you for money.
We are hoping to get funding for a collaboration between samestuff theatre and AVYM through Australia Council or Asialink. We would explore the time capsule with different generations of Vietnamese-Australians and hopefully exchange cultures with Ly to get the perspective of the modern Vietnamese generation.
We are hoping to get funding for a collaboration between samestuff theatre and AVYM through Australia Council or Asialink. We would explore the time capsule with different generations of Vietnamese-Australians and hopefully exchange cultures with Ly to get the perspective of the modern Vietnamese generation.
posted by Hoa at
6:24 PM
2 Comments:
Such interesting things to be considering, Hoa. I've been thinking a lot lately about the 'space-time continuum' and wonder how you could apply that to OS Vietnamese v. locals. Also, check out this link to the ratings of free press around the world http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=639 Vietnam doesn't rate so well - any comments? Keep up the descriptions and analysis - loving it. And don't miss Alister too much! :D xx t
By
Tammois, at 3:31 PM
Hi Tammi
The space time continuum could definitely apply to Viet Kieu and Vietnamese. Ly commented that the Vietnamese in Australia are more Vietnamese than those in Vietnam! Certainly amongst my Voicebox mates they have some traditionally inclined parents- such as banning someone from attending a funeral because their astrological chart clashed with the deceased. And believing in spells and superstitions...The older Viet Kieu in Australia have not forgotten the war and view anything out of Vietnam as suspectly communist. Which leads to the free press- well everything public has to be approved by the ministry of information and culture which says a lot. But look at the ABC axing the Glasshouse because of liberal pressure. I will find it interesting to see the Australian press coverage of APEC and the Vietnamese coverage (and BBC coverage). Hope you are well
Cheers Hoa
By
Hoa, at 8:58 PM
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