REVIEW

This set of three videocassettes provides the viewer with a picture documentary of the largest cities, markets, and selected scenes of contemporary daily life in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Since the characteristics of the videos vary, each is discussed separately below.

VIETNAM

This journey through Vietnam begins with footage of the countryside in North Vietnam, a region that the narrator tells us has been greatly influenced by China. The narrator's vehicle shares a narrow road with bicyclists and pedestrians while he describes rice fields and farmers. This vista of life outside the city changes as the speaker enters Hanoi where there are shots of schools, markets and various modes of transportation. The narrator spends considerable time discussing street markets that he makes interesting through his detailed descriptions of food and wares. The markets provide an insightful look at how Vietnam's economy works. In Hanoi there is a segment on Ho Chi Minh with shots of his mausoleum. Viewers are next taken on a brief trip to the harbor at Hai Phong where they board a ferry along with people, produce and the ubiquitous bicycles. The ferry's destination is Ha Long Bay, a location that is beautifully filmed showing the region's limestone islands and the boat dwellers who live among them. The next major destination is Ho Chi Minh City, which the narrator tells us has been most influenced by France and the United States. Most of the video in this city depicts urban street vendors, although there are some shots of rural areas. A nice bit of footage depicts the small town of Cu Chi and then on to the beach at Vung Tau. This segment provides a vignette of families at leisure in contrast to the industrious urban street vendors who are ever present throughout this video. Although, the narrator discusses the Vietnam War briefly, an elementary school student today would be unable to comprehend that period without more information. Insufficient background is provided on China's centuries long influence on North Vietnam and France's role as a colonial power there. Reasons for the United States entry in the Vietnam War would also be vague to the viewer with little knowledge of that period. There was pleasing music playing faintly in the background throughout this video, and it would have been helpful to have it identified. The only interview with a Vietnamese came at the beginning of the film in the form of a welcome to the country and at the end of the video when the same woman urged the viewer to return to Vietnam. Students can certainly learn about another culture through this video, but to be most useful as an introduction to Vietnam the teacher would be advised to discuss the country's general history with the class before showing it.

CAMBODIA

The opening scenes in this video are in Phnom Penh. The viewer is first taken to the school that Pol Pot used as a prison and torture chamber and then to the infamous killing fields located just outside of the city. That the narrator follows a description of the horror associated with these sites with the comment, "but that was then and this is now and the people now face each day with a smile and a dream," seems superficial. However, the visit to Phnom Penh is valuable for a number of reasons not the least of which is that it was filmed during Tet, the lunar New Year. There are numerous Phnom Penh street scenes with food vendors and market stalls, most of which depict children participating in the Tet festivities. Footage of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda along with a segment on the Royal Ballet provide the viewer with a sense of the importance of Cambodia's monarchy and the role art, architecture and Buddhism have played in Cambodia's culture. The narrator emphasizes the country's dependence on the Mekong River and discusses briefly the large centrally located lake, the Tonle Sap. The best pictures and descriptions, however, are reserved for Angkor Thom where the viewer sees especially fine shots of the Bayon with its large carved faces and of Angkor Wat with its bas reliefs and many magnificent buildings and levels. The grandeur of ancient Cambodia is evident in this segment, although one does not get the sense of the importance of the preservation of these ancient Khmer monuments. In one scene the narrator tells the viewer that the Bayon was re-discovered in 1861, but he does not say by whom, missing the opportunity to tell his audience about the French period--a factor too important to be disregarded. Some place names are mispronounced, most notably Siem Reap, the city in close proximity to the Angkor complex. This video provides a view of Cambodian culture as seen in the daily lives of its people and through the country's impressive architecture and art. Its weaknesses lies in its failure to adequately discuss the colonial period, why the Americans bombed the country and Vietnam's influence on the present government that succeeded the Pol Pot regime. Although the scenes of Tet and the many children's activities would make this video appropriate viewing for K-3rd grade children, the discussion of the torture perpetuated during the Pol Pot period make it entirely unsuitable.

LAOS

Life in Laos is concentrated along the Mekong River and the narrator makes a point of discussing the importance of the river as a means of transporting people and goods in a country with no seacoast and little money for cars and trucks. Of equal importance to the people is Buddhism. The narration explains the importance of this religion and how the Lao people and monks interact. There is considerable footage showing lovely old Buddhist temples in the cities of Vientiane and Luang Phrabang. The opening scenes are in Vientiane where the French colonial influence is mentioned briefly. In this city shots of That Luang are shown, but this important pagoda is not identified. Much more footage is provided on the city of Luang Phrabang than on Vientiane which, as the narrator points out, has changed very little in the past century. The market in Luang Phrabang is a major attraction and ample pictures are provided of the food and goods on sale there. There is discussion of the beauty and detail of the Buddhist pagodas in Luang Phrabang and the viewer is shown monks interacting with the local people. Some Lao history is provided at this point. One small town concentrates on making rice wine and the viewer has the opportunity to see many aspects of daily life in a visit there. A stop at a mountain village introduces the audience to a hill tribe community and a display of handicrafts at another location provides a nice selection of weavings. The importance of the Mekong River is well presented in this video and the villages located along its banks illustrate the peoples' dependence on it for agriculture, transportation and household use. Laos is the best of the three videos.

Although there are shortcomings in each of these videos, all three contain segments that would be useful in introducing students in grades four through six to these Southeast Asian countries. At the onset of each video is a picture of a regional map that zeros in on the specific country to be shown. This is a fine technique for a geography class. Better pronunciation of place names, identification of the musical instruments playing in the background and more in-depth historical information on the featured countries are among the techniques that would enhance these presentations. Elementary school children today are not familiar with the Vietnam War and the narrator frequently refers to that conflict. The videos do come with booklets that provide the teacher with some background information as well as a set of review questions and suggested activities based on the video, however, in several cases these activities target a more advanced age group than does the video. For example, in the Lao booklet one of the activities (pg. 3, #7) names the countries surrounding Laos pointing out that these countries have not always been in agreement with one other. It goes on to ask the student how Laos can avoid being dragged into regional differences and conflicts. If such questions are to be answered realistically, the student would have to be familiar with the history and culture of those neighboring countries.