Sustainable tourism in Vietnam inspires film

By Marc Eiden, Ballarat VIC

A homestay experience with the Red Dao women of North Vietnam was the inspiration behind Ballarat filmmaker Erin McCuskey’s short film.

Screenshot from the film.

When Erin McCuskey journeyed to the remote mountain village of Ta Phin in North Vietnam with friend Lyndan Baxter, they were so moved by what they saw and heard from the local women, they began to document their stories.

Ta Phin: A Hard Life Easy to Live  tells the story of the Red Dao women of Ta Phin, who have realised that the only way to preserve and protect their culture and environment is to cautiously embrace tourism from the west. By banding together, the Ta Phin women are managing the impacts of tourism in their community by inviting travellers to stay in their homes and share the experience of life in the village.

“They believe sustainable tourism, will enhance their lives, bring the outside world into their village and protect their culture. It is a hard life but one that is simple and embracing,” Erin says.

Q&A with filmmaker Erin McCuskey

How did the Ta Phin video come about?

My friend Lynden and I wanted to use our particular skills, mine in creative media (film, photography, animation etc) and hers in writing to support women in an international setting. We wanted the challenge, and we wanted to travel, a beautiful fit.

Why was it important for you to document the Ta Phin people?

It was more about sharing their message, to ensure their passion for life, their children, and their culture was shared, to tell the world to go and visit. Sustainable tourism is the way these women want to protect their village from poverty. We can all help by ensuring the world treats this village, and others, with respect.

What are the challenges of filming in another country?

Our major issue was communicating from a distance. We tried for three years to make contact from Australia. In the end we decided that we would just go and see what happened. We arrived and within two days had made contact and were on the overnight train to Sa Pa. It was like they needed to see the whites of our eyes, feel our commitment and judge our compassion. These women do not have email addresses, bank accounts or landlines. Their children though ride motorbikes and have mobile phones. It’s worlds within worlds.

Read the full article by Marc Eiden from Ballarat VIC