1973 (film)
| 1973 | |
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| Distributed by | Public Information Broadcasting Company |
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Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | Quenmin |
| Languages | Quenminese, Tobedaric, Hmong |
1973 is a 2018 documentary film directed by Chung Quảng Quyết and Ngô Chiến Thắng recounting the 1973 Quenmin Uprisings. It was distributed by Public Information Broadcasting Company, and released on 7 July 2018 in Quenmin to coincide with the event's 45th anniversary. It would subsequently be aired on the Company's channel on 4 July, and uploaded to their Durian channel four days later.
Synopsis
The documentary recounts the 1973 Quenmin Uprisings through the use of archival footage, and omits the use of narration, interviews, and commentary.
Featured media relative to the event includes recorded movies from the protestors; radio and phone transcripts from the Đỗ Kim Ngữ government, Royal and Imperial Service for Public Order, Royal and Imperial Quenminese Ground Force; Đỗ Kim Ngữ's July 6 curfew address; Quenminese news reports during and after the uprisings; and Ton Khiem's famous song I Lost My Eyes.
Development
Inspired by the 45th anniversary of the Uprisings, Quyết and Thắng conceived to create a documentary film that would feature the absence of narration, interviews, and commentary, and the sole use of live recordings to propel it. Their rationale for this decision addresses the flaws of narration and interviews, as stated by Thắng in an interview by Storytellers' Digest:
There have been many documentaries that try to describe how the Uprisings happened. While it is a endeavor I commend them for, they always overlook aspects that altogether help convey the whole story. Word choice also plays into this, and interviews and commentaries alongside lack no excuse, which makes them viable tools to propagate an agenda. We felt that the omission of both of these gives viewers a more objective perspective of the event, and it would be better to let them see how this tragic event is shown: raw and unembellished.
They both credited Gylian filmmaker Rasa Ḑeşéy as an influence for the orientation.
Quyết and Thắng chose the year of the event alone as the documentary title to emphasize the advantages and power of minimalism. They claimed to the same magazine that a verbose title would "prompt potential viewers to scoff to themselves."
Critical reception
1973 garnered very positive reviews on Frame by Frame, with an average rating of 9.0/10.