Ekleipsis

In 1992, Tran came across a New York Times article about a group of hysterically blind Cambodian women in Long Beach, California, known as the largest group of such people in the world. Hysterical blindness is sight loss brought about by traumatic stress and has little or no physical causes. Ekleipsis delves into two histories: the history of hysteria and the Cambodian civil war. Weaving together texts of these histories along with a composite case study of some of the hysterically blind Cambodian women and the artist’s mother, Ekleipsis speaks about the agency of somatizing pain and loss. The video also expresses the inspiration found in these ascendent personalities-those who develop the incredible will to survive traumatic events, and utilize their experiences to reflect on and live life in positive ways. Awarded Best Short Film at Nouveau Cinà ®ma Nouveaux Medias Festival, Montreal 1998