Surname Viet Given Name Nam (1989) by Trinh T. Minh-ha
Sunday, February 19, 1989, 8:00 pm
SURNAME VIET GIVEN NAME NAM
Filmmaker Trinh T. Minh-ha in person
Surname Viet Given Name Nam (1989) by Trinh T. Minh-ha, 16mm color and b&w, 1 hr. 48 min. World Premiere. Vietnamese filmmaker Trinh T. Minh-ha gained international prominence with Reassemblage and Naked Spaces, films which offer personal views of foreign cultures while challenging conventions and assumptions of the anthropological genre. The Cinematheque proudly welcomes Trinh back to premiere her newest feature-length work. “Of Marriage and loyalty: ‘Daughter, she obeys the father/ Wife, she obeys her husband/ Widow, she obeys her son.’ What role do women play in the task of building a new society and of transmitting cultural heritages? The film focuses on aspects of Vietnamese culture as seen through the history of women’s resistance in Vietnam, through images promoted by the media and through the lives and experiences of women.” – T.T.M