| Title | The Silence of the Summer |
|---|---|
| Director | Mai Dinh Khoi |
| Country | Vietnam |
| VDP Selection Year | Peoplae and Nature-2014 |
| Screen Time | 25min |
| Language | Vietnamese |
| Subtitles | English/ Japanese |
| Tags | Hanoi, Insects, Environmental Destruction, Development, Sound |
Overview
This documentary introduces different stories on the relationship between human society and the environment in Vietnam. During the summer in the parks of the city, people cannot hear the sound of cicad as and other insects even though it is their mating season. In the countryside, near the rice fields, children cannot hear the vital sounds of n ature, as the fields are now sprayed with pesticides and herbici des..In the laboratory, an entomologist collects specimens of cicadas, cric kets and other insects, fearing that they might disappear in th e near future. This documentary is a poignant reflection on the changes taking place in the Vietnamese landscape.
Mai Dinh Khoi
Director
Mai Dinh Khoi was born in Ha Noi. He studied films and screen wr iting in Vietnam National University. Currently he is working f or channel VTC14, a Vietnamese Cable TV channel and is interested in environmental issues and the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters.
Interview with the Director
Why did you make this documentary?
In summer, I often watch the children playing around my house in suburban Hanoi. Their childhood however, is much different f rom mine. I used to play in the paddy fields with all the vital sounds of insects, but they are just playing in the small courtyards and cannot hear any sounds of nature. Every morning, on my way to the office, I see the parks being narrowed, and the trees being cut down for the construction of new roads and buildings. What is sad is that people are more and more separated from nature. This compelled me to make the film “The silence of summer.”
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