Moved while sitting
25 Feb
I just got back from seeing two documentaries at Cinematheque – a cultural mecca for movie lovers that has become one of my most frequented spots in Hanoi. Both documentaries were extremely intense and relevant to my right here, right now life.
The first documentary was The Most Dangerous Man in America. The film told the story of Daniel Ellsberg’s leaking of the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War. Ellsberg had been a Pentagon insider before he completely turned into an anti-war activist. The film was especially relevant because I am now an American living in Vietnam; a country that was ravished by my country not too long ago. This documentary reiterated how much of a mistake that war was and I was once again reminded of the brutalities of the war. I was reminded that it is amazing that, as an American citizen, I am even allowed to be a guest in this country, let alone treated kindly. I was also inspired by Ellsberg’s determination to break old ties and stand up against government for what he believed to be right.
I could have easily gone home after seeing The Most Dangerous Man in America and felt satisfied, but the next film was Burma VJ. Considering I just got home from the country, it seemed like a good time to see this documentary. The smuggled footage tells the story of the 2007 riots in Yangon. The monks started with a peaceful protest, but the government took violent action against them. Monks, students, and journalists were beaten and shot. The government turned off the Internet so that images could not leak out. There was an imposed curfew.
I knew that the country has an extremely dark cloud over it from the military regime and that the people live in fear, but I did not realize how extreme it was. Watching this movie did not feel like seeing problems in a faraway land –I had JUST been at that same pagoda and the scenes of Yangon, monks, buses, and men in longyis looks a lot like what I have just seen.
Moreover, in the scope of history, 2007 is really just yesterday. This brutality is still occurring and I was in the country and only saw a few pieces of evidence of the junta (one police bus with people sticking their heads through rails, the new capital, a trekking guide saying that people live in fear, and what seemed to be forced labor). What is crazy is that the government tries hard to put on a good face for tourists, so it is possible to travel throughout the country and not have a clue what is really going on. While I had a clue, I never thought about undercover police patrolling the streets and did not understand the extent to which fear fills the air. In 1988 and 2007 people have tried to protest and it has been forcefully suppressed. There are supposedly elections coming this year, but no one seems to have much hope for change.
It was 10:30 when the second documentary ended. I had not yet eaten any dinner, but did not feel at al hungry. I biked home through the streets of Hanoi in a daze. I cannot believe the horrific acts governments and people will commit in the name of fear or power. I’ve never considered myself a passionate activist, but maybe it is about time I make my actions coincide with my beliefs. I did leave the Ivory Tower to put myself right in the middle of the action. So now what?
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