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National Treasures – Cuc Lam’s Suitcase (2004)

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Cuc Lam's suitcase education content clip 1

This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

It may be just a small red vinyl suitcase but for Vietnamese refugee Cuc Lam it’s a symbol of a new beginning in a new country.

Curator’s notes

By 1954, after the defeat of the Japanese and the expulsion of the French in the north, Vietnam was divided into communist North Vietnam and pro-western South Vietnam. The failure of a proposed vote on reunification led to war, which the north won in 1975.

The new national government sent many people who had supported the old government in the south to ‘re-education camps’, and others to ‘new economic zones’, where they were treated badly. These factors, coupled with poverty caused by disastrous economic reforms, caused millions of Vietnamese to flee the country, usually by barely sea-worthy boats.

These fleeing Vietnamese sold what they could for gold, and took only what they could carry with them. Pirates who raped, murdered and stole almost at will against the defenceless refugees preyed on them. Many ships sank, with the loss of all aboard.

Refugees who did survive had to stay in primitive camps in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.

The plight of the boat people now became an international humanitarian crisis. Several countries agreed to resettle as many as possible of the refugees, and agreed to quotas — the United States of America (823,000), Australia and Canada (137,000 each), France (96,000), and Germany and the United Kingdom (19,000 each).

Before 1975 there were approximately 700 Vietnam-born people in Australia. A few refugee boats had reached northern Australia, but most of the Vietnamese refugee resettlement between 1975 and 1985 was by air from the refugee camps in Asia, and was then followed by family reunion under the Family Stream of Australia’s immigration program.

By 1981, 43,400 Vietnamese had been resettled in Australia. By 1991 there were 124,800 Vietnam-born in Australia and in the 2001 census, 154,000 people declared themselves as Vietnam-born.

Teacher’s notes

developed for NFSA digital learning NFSA digital learning

Classroom Activities

  1. Why is it assumed that family photo albums and precious jewellery would be the items that viewers would save if they had to flee their homes?
  2. Why did Cuc Lam purchase the suitcase?
  3. Where is Cuc Lam’s suitcase now located and why is it a national treasure?
  4. What was in the pouch? Why were these Cuc Lam’s most treasured possessions?
  5. Why did she choose to sell her wedding ring instead of another item from her pouch?
  6. What does her suitcase tell us about Cuc Lam and her culture?
  7. Describe how the clip presents Cuc Lam and her suitcase.
  8. What shots are used to draw our attention to the important aspects of the story – for example, are many close-ups used?
  9. What is the effect of having Warren Brown as narrator? Why are narrators and presenters used in documentary texts?
  10. How effective is the archival footage of refugees in the clip?
  11. How does the suitcase symbolise Cuc Lam’s identity as a new Australian?

Moving to another country

  1. What would be the most difficult thing about moving to another country? What would be the most exciting thing?
  2. Refugees are usually not able to take many possessions with them. Imagine that you are a refugee – what five items would you take?
  3. What are the rights and responsibilities of immigrants to a country? What are the rights and responsibilities of the host country towards them? Prepare a list or charter that might be presented as a guide to immigrants who are applying for naturalisation.
  4. What do you think has been the main impact of any migrant group to Australia? What has been the main impact of Australia on that group? Select a significant migrant group and research these questions, including an interview element in your investigation.
  5. How might the presence of a group of people from Vietnam affect Australia’s economic and foreign policy ties with that country?
  6. Australia is described as a ‘multicultural’ society. What does this mean? Is the emphasis on people mixing together and changing each other, or on newcomers becoming basically like the rest, or on newcomers staying separate in their own culture and traditions? Which of these possible ideas about multiculturalism do Vietnamese migrants to Australia most resemble? Design a way of researching this issue to test your hypothesis.

Exploring the documentary form in multi-modal texts

  1. Choose an object that has meaning for you in a cultural context. (For example, something you or your family may have brought with them to Australia in any era: a photograph, clothing, trunk, personal memorabilia, a treasured souvenir etc). Have show and tell in class to share insights about the objects and what they represent to the students. Either:
    • Write an article about it for a newspaper or magazine or for publishing online; it could be a blog. Include interviews, photographs and other relevant material.
    • Produce a short DVD documentary about the object. Think about how you will present the object and what images, sound and narration and/or interviews need to be included.
    • Tape a radio program about the object. What needs to be considered when images cannot be included?

Creative composition task

  1. Imagine you are Cuc Lam fleeing Vietnam. Compose a series of three to five journal entries that reflect your changing sense of belonging in the course of your journey.

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When you access australianscreen you agree that:

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  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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