Join the School of the Art Institute's Visiting Artists Program for this special screening in advance of the Lecture with Tuan Andrew Nguyen on November 7.

THE SOUNDS OF CANNONS FAMILIAR LIKE SAD REFRAINS / ĐẠI BÁC NGHE QUEN NHƯ CÂU DẠO BUỒN
2021, dir. Tuan Andrew Nguyen
Vietnam, 10 min.
In Vietnamese and English with Vietnamese and English subtitles / Format: Digital video

Nguyen juxtaposes archival footage from the US military with recently recorded images of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) deactivation in the Vietnamese coastal province of Quảng Trị. This work aims to contribute towards the healing of a land that was dispossessed by its contamination. Taking its title from a line in the late sixties song Đại Bác Ru Đêm, the film follows one of the unexploded ordnances and gives it a voice through an animistic transformation. 

UNBURIED SOUNDS OF A TROUBLED HORIZON
2022, dir. Tuan Andrew Nguyen
Vietnam, 60 min.
In Vietnamese with English subtitles / Format: Digital video

This film explores how material contains memory and holds potential for transformation, reincarnation, and healing. It is inspired by the people of Quảng Trị, one of the most heavily bombed areas in the history of modern warfare. The film centers on a woman named Nguyet and her mother, who run a junkyard on Quảng Trị’s outskirts. Nguyet is both a fully fleshed character and a narrative vehicle for Nguyen’s own physical exploration of material memory. 

Tickets

$13 General public
$8 Students with a valid ID
$6.50 Film Center members
$5 SAIC faculty & staff & AIC staff
Free for SAIC students

Unless otherwise noted, SAIC student tickets are released five days prior to showtime. Tickets must be picked up in person from the Gene Siskel Film Center box office. A student ID is required.