The General: Vietnam in the Age of To Lam

September 17, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Mānoa Campus, Hamilton Library 306

A documentary film by Laura Brickman, Moderator: Ehito Kimura, PoliSci, ƵM, Date: September 17, 2026, Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM, Venue: Hamilton Library 306, Discussion to follow. The General traces the rise of Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam, to the top of Vietnam’s leadership in the 14th Party Congress. As To Lam’s power has grown, so has the expansion of Vietnam’s security apparatus that no longer stops at national borders. Asylum seekers, activists, and even insiders who challenge the system find themselves surveilled, harassed, and silenced wherever they flee. Through firsthand accounts and investigative reporting, the film asks what prosperity truly costs when economic growth is built on repression. Human rights lawyer Dang Dinh Manh states: “I owe documentary filmmaker Laura Brickman my gratitude for telling the story of our country—an anguished cry from within, conveyed with honesty and depth.” Manh sought asylum in the US in 2023 due to political repression from Vietnamese authorities. Many of the human rights defenders in the film were his clients. aura Brickman is an award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience in digital media, broadcast, and print. She has worked for Politico, BBC, 60 Seconds Docs, Insider, and other media outlets. The General: Vietnam in the Age of To Lam is her directorial debut.


Ticket Information
Free and open to the public

Event Sponsor
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Teri L Skillman, 8089562676, skillman@hawaii.edu

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