Ethnographic Film Series

Organised by the Royal Anthropological Institute’s Film Committee and SOAS Department of Anthropology and Sociology

27 November Wednesday 1 PM, Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS    

Hanoi Eclipse: The Music of Dai Lam Linh

Barley Norton, 56 mins, 2010, Vietnam

This film follows the challenges faced by the controversial Vietnamese band Lam Linh, while rehearsing and performing in their hometown of Hanoi. It shows how the band came together to create a unique form of popular music, which is both international in outlook and rooted in Vietnamese traditions and aesthetics. Followed by scandal at every turn for their experimental sound and their use of sexually explicit lyrics, the band has dared to flout taboos and fight for their creative freedom. Dai Lam Linh’s story of creative, political and financial struggle reveals what it is like to be a contemporary musician in a one-party state where cultural expression is tightly controlled.

Commendation Intangible Culture (Music-Dance-Performance) Film Prize 2011

Followed by Q&A session with director.

For further information on the film please contact: RAI Film Officer, Susanne Hammacher, film@therai.org.uk, or Kimberly Chong, SOAS Anthropology Department, kc27@soas.ac.uk.

These are public events - all are welcome.