Vietnam Symphony

Tom Zubrycki, director, for Film Australia Ltd.

In 1965, as the Vietnam War intensified and Hanoi faced the threat of massive US bombing, students and teachers from the National Conservatory of Music were forced to flee the city for the relative safety of a small village in the countryside. With the help of villagers, they built an entire campus underground, creating a maze of hidden tunnels, connecting an auditorium and classrooms. Here, as the war raged around them, they lived, studied and played music for five years.

Stunning black and white archival footage captures almost surreal scenes ­ of pianos wheeled on handcarts along dusty tracks, performances during heavy bombardments, the cooperation of peasants and performing artists ­ the pragmatic and the sublime. This remarkable footage is combined with contemporary interviews with the people involved, who recount stories of danger, hunger, fear and loss.

The film juxtaposes the devastation of war with the transcendence of music. It gives American audiences a unique view from "the other side" ­ as we struggle to evaluate this controversial period in our history.

52 min. Video or DVD. Sale $350. Video Rental $85