Sung poetic text by Nguyễn Văn Tiệp (transcriptionally, Tiệp or Diệp). PK 1397, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“A hair brooch for a folding fan, they were destined to be together

When there was unrest in the state of Qi the year after

Kiều Liên left to take her vows

Phan Sinh came to visit his aunt in a temple

Then came across Kiều Liên

Stunned by her beauty, he longed for her steel heart”

Oral summary of epic poem “Phan Trần”, written in Nôm script, by Nguyễn Văn Tiệp (transcriptionally, Tiệp or Diệp.). PK 1397, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“A poem once went:

An honorable man is a holy man, and so are the Emperors 

As Excellency they are praised

Emperor Yao and Shun adhered to the Doctrine of the Mean for prosperity

Emperor Yu and Cheng Tang reigned in succession, an era of peace

The three dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou) were all holy

The five emperors (Yellow Emperor, Emperor Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun) were those of wisdom”

Sung poetic text by Nguyễn Văn Tiệp (transcriptionally, Tiệp or Diệp). PK 1397, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“A poem once went:

An honorable man is a holy man, and so are the Emperors 

As Excellency they are praised

Emperor Yao and Shun adhered to the Doctrine of the Mean for prosperity

Emperor Yu and Cheng Tang reigned in succession, an era of peace

The three dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou) were all holy

The five emperors (Yellow Emperor, Emperor Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun) were those of wisdom

What blissful an era it was in conjunction with these reigns

For the pacific Emperors to rule over his civilians with peace.“

Sung poetic text by Nguyễn Văn Tiệp (transcriptionally, Tiệp or Diệp). PK 1397, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“There was a story once told

Of Phan and Trần”

Recitation by prisoner Nguyễn Văn Tấu. PK 1398, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“– An oath…

What oath did they swear?

They swore an oath to be husband and wife

Should one family bear a son, the other a daughter

They shall be betrothed forever

A hair brooch for a folding fan, they were destined to be together”

Oral summary of epic poem “Phan Trần” by prisoner Nguyễn Văn Tấu. PK 1398, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“When there was unrest in the state of Qi the year after

Kiều Liên left to take her vows

Phan Sinh came to visit his aunt in a temple

Coming across Kiều Liên, he was stunned by her beauty”

Oral summary of epic poem “Phan Trần” by prisoner Nguyễn Văn Tấu. PK 1398, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“A poem once went:

How solid the supports and pillars are

The most holy Gods are protecting the people

Blessing them with goodness, wealth, and longevity

Blessing them with a safe and sound life.”

Recitation by prisoner Nguyễn Văn Tấu. PK 1398, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“Admiring the flowers in the dim light

Sharing this sorrow with these petals of bloom”

Recitation by prisoner Nguyễn Văn Tấu. PK 1398, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“A poem once went:

An honorable man is a holy man, and so are the Emperors 

As Excellency they are praised

Emperor Yao and Shun adhered to the Doctrine of the Mean for prosperity

Emperor Yu and Cheng Tang reigned in succession, an era of peace

The three dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou) were all holy

The five emperors (Yellow Emperor, Emperor Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun) were those of wisdom”

Sung poetic text by Nguyễn Văn Tiệp (transcriptionally, Tiệp or Diệp). PK 1397, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“A poem once went:

How solid the supports and pillars are

The most holy Gods are protecting the people

Blessing them with goodness, wealth, and longevity

Blessing them with a safe and sound life.”

***

You are listening to a poem recitation by Mr. Nguyen Van Tau, originally a farmer from Nam Định province. He was imprisoned in Halbmondlager camp in Germany. Most likely, he was a soldier of the French Army before being captured by the Germans.

PK 1398, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin , with Nguyễn Nhung’s narrative

Halbmondlager was a prison camp for colored skin soldiers (including Vietnamese captives), about 55 kilometres away to the South of Berlin. The German government utilized this as a propaganda camp to entice these soldiers into fighting for them.

Narration by Nguyễn Nhung

From November 1939 to June 1940, about 20,000 workers from Indochine (including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) arrived in France. They were called non-specialised workers (i.e. O.N.S – ouvrier non spécialisé).

Narration by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung

By June 1940, the majority of the workers who served in the Defense Industry: 70% of them worked in the gunpowder factories – an extremely toxic working environment.

Narration by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung

Sickness, hard and dangerous work, poor living conditions and the homesick workers in despair resulted in the death of 1061 people during World War II (*)

(*) According to statistics by Department of Indigenous, North Africans and Colonial Labors (also known as MOI – Service de la Main – d’œuvre indigène, nord-africaine et coloniale) 

Narration by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung

Note: Lyrical excerpt from La Marseillaise, French national anthem, sung by Bùi Ngọc Thê, former Indochinese worker, when he was 94. Audio extract by Director Nguyễn Sỹ Bằng.

“Sailing into the wind

Water-fern floats down the stream

The pluck sound of blue

Is the bluest blue

As I watch the boats undock

My heart tightens

It recalls farewell”

This section contains an audio extract from “Công Binh, la longue nuit indochinoise”, directed by Lam Lê

We shall further discuss the memories of some Vietnamese workers as they reminisce about their time living and working under the colonial regime: 

“After a short while, we were transferred to Salins-de-Giraud. Roughly 100 men. We were in the same camp but splitted to two groups: one working in salt farms, the other doing grape harvesting. Gosh, salt farming was hellish. Safety measures were thrown out the window. They just wanted us to labor to death. And even then, it was not their concern.”

***

“Hell, they gave us a mere pair of shoes every 2-3 years. But no salt-soaked shoes would last more than a few months. Without chaussette (socks), we had to cover our feet with old clothes. We were given a pair of socks once every 6-7 months, but again, they would be ripped apart in just a couple of weeks in salt water.”

This section contains an extract from “Công Binh, la longue nuit indochinoise”, directed by Lam Lê, with guided narrative written by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung.

In the stories of the workers’ journeys to France, an eyewitness recounted the incidents as follow:

“Under the cargo hatch where I was, there were 2500 people. It was so stuffy that we struggled for air. A man pulled his head out just to get some air. As soon as the ship weighed anchor, he was beheaded.”

This section contains an extract from “Công Binh, la longue nuit indochinoise”, directed by Lam Lê, with guided narrative written by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung.

“Our homesickness was beyond comparison. Wars raged on and on. Homesickness hurts. After dinner, when the day finally finished, some people would cry their night out. They missed their home.”

This section contains an audio extract from “Công Binh, la longue nuit indochinoise”, directed by Lam Lê

In the minds of many of Vietnamese workers, the memories of hunger were still fresh as they reminisced:

“We were given only a few hundred grams of bread a day. There was next to nothing in the soup. We had to go pick what we called “milky grass”. We gave it such a name as a milk-like liquid came out when we pinched it. That grass was basically cows’ food. But we boiled and ate it anyway. We were starving, the hunger was unbearable. “

***

“Only two days worth of food was provided to us, but to last one week.”

***

“It got worse in the winter, our hunger much worsened. We had to steal chickens, wandering sheep, or wheat from fields. Then we put wheat into a blanket, pounded it to remove husks, then brought it home to cook.”

***

“Rice began to run out. Rice from Indochina had been shipped to areas with workers. Before, we were given 300 grams a day, which was then reduced to 150 grams only.”

This section contains an extract from “Công Binh, la longue nuit indochinoise”, directed by Lam Lê, with guided narrative written by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung.

By June 1940, the majority of the workers who served in the Defense Industry: 70% of them worked in the gunpowder factories – an extremely toxic working environment. In the period of 1941-1942, 15% of them switched to salt or rice farming. Roughly 30% switched to logging or coal mining. In the period of 1942-1944, when France surrendered to the Nazi, the workers were transfered to the factories under the supervision of the Nazi.

Narration by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung

In 1941 alone, 5000 Indochinese workers were repatriated; however, it was faced with difficulties caused by the war. The last official repatriates of some of the workers took place as late as 1952. The number who remained in France (about 1000 people) assimilated to the local life through vocational training and marriages with French women

Narration by Đỗ Hương & Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Sound design by Nguyễn Nhung

Archival recordings from catalogue numbers PK 747 and PK 1224, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recordings from catalogue numbers PK 1224 and PK 1646, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recordings from catalogue numbers PK 1646 and PK 1647, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1647, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recordings from catalogue numbers PK 1490_1 and PK 1646, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“Between 1822 and 1961, multiple people from across the French colonies were brought together in order to fight wars for France.

Although most of these people were forced into military service, their personal experience gradually became more known.  

Tirailleurs are what the French called their “indigenous colonial soldiers”

Script by Zach Sch. Arabic translation by Rami Abadir. English-Vietnamese translation by Khương Lê

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 747, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1490_1, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recordings from catalogue numbers PK 747 and PK 1646, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1224, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 747, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

“Between 1822 and 1961, multiple peoples from across the French colonies were brought together in order to fight wars for France.

Although in most cases pressed into service, the experiences of these individual soldiers became shared over time.  

Tirailleurs are what the French called their “indigenous colonial soldiers”. Although it is most commonly associated with soldiers from West Africa as well as units such as Tirailleurs Malgaches (Madagascar) it was also the title of soldiers from French Indochina – modern day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia also served locally and abroad”

Script by Zach Sch. French translation by Anh Phi Trần. English-Vietnamese translation by Khương Lê

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 747, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 747, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1647, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1647, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1647, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1490_1, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1646, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1647, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1490_1, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1490_1, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1490_1, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1490_1, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 1224, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin, with guided script by Zach Sch

Archival recording from catalogue number PK 747, Sound Archive, Humboldt University of Berlin, with guided script by Zach Sch