We’re Still Here

The story takes place in Duong Noi village in the midst of rampant urbanization. Indigenous cultures are brutally bought and oppressed, paddy fields stolen and then filled with layers of cement. In but a few months, upscale apartments mushroomed. New residents start moving in while knowing nothing of past lives and memories. Many farmers have struggled to claim back their land, among which 7 of them have gone to prison. The rest is yet to give up.

This series portray how villagers connect with their formal home that now only exists in their memories. Emotional loss is much greater than material loss. During the merciless process of gentrification, they have lost their connection to nature, longstanding customs and rituals, relationships and knowledge. They are now learning to cope with dispossession, to stand together and to distrust.