In this course, we will discuss narratives produced by francophone authors and filmmakers of Southeast Asian descent, particularly of the Vietnamese diaspora. As we read, we will pay close attention to the ways in which our authors take up exile, displacement, and loss both thematically and aesthetically. With many of our texts foregrounding histories of imperialism, colonialism, and migration in (and out of) the region formerly known as l’Indochine française, we will come to understand how “Indochina,” “Southeast Asia” and “Vietnam” exist in collective memory across national and diasporic contexts. To do so, we will examine how these different spatial imaginaries impact the way our authors represent and reckon with contested identities and fractured memories in their works. Our discussions will uncover expressions of diasporic agency behind textual and visual strategies of representation, resistance, and negotiation as well as practices of resilience and survival in the face of war, catastrophe, and rupture.

FR102, placement test or native fluency required for enrollment; all work conducted in French.

Required texts include: Phạm Văn Ký, Frères de sang*; Lý Thu Hồ, Printemps inachevé*; Marcelino Truong, Give peace a chance : Londres 1963-75; Rithy Panh, L’image manquante (film, streaming link provided); Doan Bui, Le silence de mon père; Kim Thúy, Ru; Linda Lê, “Les pieds nus”*; “Vinh L.”*; Héroïnes. (*PDFs available on bCourses)