Artists in exile

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 11

Artists in exile

In Vietnam today the only art officially permitted is that which supports the Hanoi regime, but among the refugees in France there are many writers,.'dancers, and mu sicians dedicated to preserving traditional culture in the hope that they will one day be able to return. In a Paris suburb, Vo Van Ai edits and publishes a magazine in Vietnamese which features the work of exiled writers, together with criticial articles smuggled out of Vietnam, and .he organises Concerts in aid of the boat people. There are even plan’s to found a Vietnamese University in Paris. David Attenborough interviews them in “Spirit of Asia” on Network One on Sunday. Vo Van Ai’s group are recent arrivals, but south of the Dordogne there its a camp for refugees who came at the time of Dien Bien Phu, 17 years ago. Young people have left the camp in search of jobs in Bordeaux and Marseilles, but the eldeny ladies who remain do their best to keep alive the Vietnamese traditions. Once a year they honour.the spirits with a colourful festival.