Release Year: 2007
Original title: Chuyện thày Đức
Synopsis:
In 2007, Vietnamese filmmaker Nguyen Trinh Thi released the documentary Love Man Love Woman, a poignant exploration of gender, identity, and spirituality in the context of the Dao Mau tradition, a popular folk religion in Vietnam. The film focuses on a community of effeminate gay men who serve as spiritual mediums in religious ceremonies, blurring the lines between gender, sexuality, and faith in a country where social norms tend to reinforce heteronormativity. At its heart, Love Man Love Woman provides an intimate portrait of individuals who defy societal expectations and explore the intersection of religion, performance, and personal identity.
Dao Mau, or the Mother Goddess religion, is an indigenous spiritual practice that has been practiced in Vietnam for centuries. It involves the worship of a pantheon of deities, particularly the Mother Goddesses, who are believed to control various aspects of the natural and supernatural world. Central to Dao Mau rituals is the role of thay cai, or spiritual mediums, who serve as intermediaries between the gods and humans. These mediums enter into trances to communicate with spirits, and their performances often involve elaborate rituals, singing, and dancing.
While the religious tradition itself is deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture, it has long been associated with gender fluidity. In particular, the mediums who perform these roles often cross traditional gender boundaries, wearing elaborate costumes and adopting female personas during rituals. The practice of thay cai is one of the few spaces in Vietnamese society where effeminate men, or even those who identify as gay, can publicly express themselves without the severe social stigma that often accompanies non-heteronormative identities.
The film centers on Master Luu Ngoc Duc, one of the most respected spiritual mediums in Hanoi, and his community of followers. Master Duc and his peers perform traditional ceremonies in which they act as channels for female spirits, often donning flamboyant costumes and makeup to embody these deities. These performances are not only religious but also deeply personal expressions of identity.
Through the lens of Duc’s life and the lives of other mediums in the community, Love Man Love Woman invites viewers into a world that is both spiritual and radically open in its embrace of non-binary gender expression. The subjects in the documentary, who are often referred to as ai nam ai nu (a term roughly translating to “men who love men, women who love women”), form a close-knit group where gender variance is not only accepted but celebrated. Their performances, which are often comedic and imbued with a certain camp sensibility, provide a unique and heartwarming counterpoint to the more somber, conventional portrayals of religious ritual.
In Love Man Love Woman, Nguyen Trinh Thi takes a nuanced approach to the complex dynamics of gender and sexuality in contemporary Vietnamese society. Although Vietnam has made progress in recent years with regard to LGBTQ+ rights—especially in comparison to other Southeast Asian countries—homophobia remains deeply ingrained in the culture. The dominant societal attitude is still largely patriarchal, and the expectation is that men and women fulfill traditional roles.
Within this context, effeminate men and gay individuals often face discrimination and marginalization. Yet the Dao Mau religion, and specifically the role of spiritual mediums, provides a rare opportunity for these individuals to express themselves outside of conventional gender and sexual norms. The religious community depicted in the film offers a supportive, though sometimes imperfect, alternative to mainstream society’s rejection of gender nonconformity.
One of the key tensions in the film is the paradoxical coexistence of acceptance within the spiritual community and rejection from the wider society. On one hand, these effeminate men are revered as spiritual conduits who channel the wisdom and power of the Mother Goddess; on the other hand, they are marginalized and stigmatized in their everyday lives. This dichotomy highlights the complexity of gender and sexuality in a post-socialist Vietnam, where rapid modernization coexists with deep-rooted traditional beliefs.
One of the most striking aspects of Love Man Love Woman is its focus on the performative nature of gender expression. The mediums, including Master Duc, perform rituals that often require them to embody female spirits with an exuberance and flair that challenges rigid gender categories. Their elaborate costumes, which include silk robes, headdresses, and intricate makeup, are not merely decorative—they are integral to the spiritual power they channel.
The film captures moments of beauty and transformation, as the mediums slip into their female personas with grace and ease. These moments are not just about ritual, but also about personal expression, as the performers embrace a femininity that may not be otherwise accessible to them in the rigid, heteronormative landscape of Vietnamese society.
The documentary does not shy away from showing the humanity behind these performances. In between rituals, the camera lingers on the personal lives of the subjects, capturing intimate moments of camaraderie, vulnerability, and joy. These personal moments offer a glimpse into a community that shares not only a religious bond but also an emotional connection rooted in mutual respect and understanding. The humor and playfulness that accompany their performances only enhance the sense of community, where gender fluidity and non-conformity are sources of empowerment rather than shame.
At its core, Love Man Love Woman is a meditation on the sacredness of gender and sexual diversity. The film underscores how these spiritual rituals, though deeply rooted in tradition, also offer a space for reinvention and subversion of conventional gender roles. The mediums' ability to transcend the binary limitations of gender in their religious performances mirrors the broader potential for fluidity and transformation in their personal lives.
This interplay between spirituality and sexuality is central to understanding the film's larger commentary on human rights and the possibility of acceptance within society. By framing these gender-variant individuals as not only religious figures but also as people with rich inner lives and complex identities, Love Man Love Woman advocates for a more inclusive, empathetic view of gender and sexuality.
In doing so, Nguyen Trinh Thi’s documentary challenges not only traditional gender norms but also the rigid conceptions of religion that often exclude or stigmatize gender-nonconforming individuals. The Dao Mau tradition, with its flexibility and openness to multiple gender expressions, serves as a powerful example of how spirituality can be a force for acceptance and inclusivity.
Love Man Love Woman is an inspiring and thought-provoking documentary that sheds light on the intersection of religion, gender, and sexuality in contemporary Vietnam. Through the stories of Master Luu Ngoc Duc and his community of spirit mediums, Nguyen Trinh Thi offers a compelling portrait of individuals who embrace their gender diversity in a context that both challenges and celebrates their identities. The film presents a world where gender and sexuality are fluid, and where personal expression and spiritual devotion coexist in harmony.
In defying societal norms, these mediums embody a form of resistance that is deeply rooted in their cultural and spiritual traditions. Love Man Love Woman not only illuminates a unique subculture within Vietnam’s Dao Mau community but also highlights the broader struggle for acceptance and equality faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in a homophobic society. The film ultimately serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative potential of love, identity, and faith.
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