Speaking with: histories of Vietnam explored through archive film
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Published Version
Date
2025-10-23
Authors
Johnson, Esther
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Film and Screen Media, University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
This article discusses the research and methods undertaken in the creation of the poetic documentary feature film Dust & Metal (Cát bụi & Kim loại), directed by Esther Johnson (2022). Funded by the British Council, the film offers alternative perspectives of Vietnam, moving beyond Hollywood’s portrayals of the American/Vietnam War. Through a combination of difficult-to-access archive film, crowd-sourced material, newly shot footage, and oral histories, the research reveals unfamiliar histories of freedom in Vietnam that connect with the country’s most ubiquitous mode of transport: the motorbike and, previously, the bicycle. Dust & Metal concurrently acts as a whistle-stop tour through the history of Vietnamese cinema as shot by the film studios supported by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture.
Description
Keywords
Archive , Film artist , Documentary , Vietnam
Citation
Johnson, E. (2025) 'Speaking with: histories of Vietnam explored through archive film', Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media, 29–30, pp. 263–280. https://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.2930.16