I can’t think of a more vibrant, engaging person than Asiroh Cham, a filmmaker who was trained at UCLA’s EthnoCommunications Program under the leadership of Prof. Robert Nakamura. She has an inquisitive spirit, a staunch determination to tell the stories of the Cham people, and an irresistible charm that draws you in for an entrancing conversation. Just watch the following short videos; you’ll see. You’ll learn about a little-known ethnic group, the Cham, who once ruled Central and Southern Vietnam. Despite their suffering and forced removal over time, Cham people maintain their culture and promote the legacy of the Champa kingdom.
Asiroh has produced two films. “Journey” is a documentary about Julie Thi Underhill, a Cham artist and writer, who returns to Vietnam for the reburial ceremony of her grandmother. “Journey” is both a literal trip to the ancestral homeland and an interior exploration of what it means to be Cham.
“My Name is Asiroh” is a stop-motion and live action narrative that offers an introduction to Cham history and how she got the name Asiroh.
The first video is about Asiroh’s family history. The other videos provide an introduction to each of her films. Feel free to share these films and spread the knowledge about Cham people and the Champa Kingdom.
I also want to thank Abe Ferrer, Visual Communications’ Archivist, for restoring “Journey.”
To see more of Julie Thi Underhill’s writing, photography, filmmaking, and artwork, go to http://www.jthiunderhill.com
Author’s bio: Eddie Wong is the editor/publisher of East Wind Ezine.
