Event

DisOrient 2013 Saigon Electric

SAIGON ELECTRIC (2011) 106 min. VIETNAM
Feature Narrative Directed by Stephane Gauger

"MAI, a traditional ribbon dancer from the countryside, arrives to the big city of Saigon in hopes of being admitted to the national dance academy, where she meets the rebellious KIM, a hip hop dancer from a local crew. Mai enters their lives as the crew trains at the community nter with their own dreams: to compete internationally in South Korea. To do so, they have to beat the national champs from Hanoi. Soon enough, Kim moves in with Mai and the two teens become kindred spirits until Kim loses in an underground battle and quits the South crew. As Mai becomes closer to Doboy, the leader of the South crew, Kim begins a fairy tale romance with Hai, a rich boy from the other side of the tracks threatens her friendship with Mai. The kids trouble mount when a hotel developer informs them that their community center will be torn down to make room for a large hotel. Now Mai and Doboy have to convince city officials to attend the Samsung competition, but first they've got to beat the North crew. Will Kim run
off to Europe with her rich new boyfriend, or will she return to her hip hop family. Will Mai find the courage to audition again for the national dance academy. Will the underdogs Saigon crew find a way to keep their community center and find victory at the big competition? Saigon Electric is a movie that looks at the youth in modern day Vietnam, and their power to dream. "