Surname Viet Given Name Nam

The Role of Vietnamese Women in Society

Vietnamese-born Trinh T. Minh-ha's profoundly personal documentary explores the role of Vietnamese women historically and in contemporary society. Using dance, printed texts, folk poetry and the words and experiences of Vietnamese women in Vietnam--from both North and South--and the United States, Trinh's film challenges official culture with the voices of women.

A theoretically and formally complex work, SURNAME VIET GIVEN NAME NAM explores the difficulty of translation, and themes of dislocation and exile, critiquing both traditional society and life since the war.

"Keenly intelligent, sensuously multi-layered...Emotionally, the film leaves you with the courage and persistent strength of Vietnamese women." - Stuart Klawans, The Nation