Cố Du | Essence from the Past

Here's an exceptionally well done short movie from Luan Nguyễn , a Vietnamese videographer, which through a recreation, depicts daily life scenes of the aristocracy in Vietnam under Nguyễn dynasty (1802-1945). It shows us a young woman being dressed and made up by an attendant girl to meet (presumably) a suitor. Using ambient light and slow deliberate movements, it captures very well what I imagine was the demeanor and appearance of such aristocrats. 

History tells us that the Nguyễn dynasty was the last imperial family of Vietnam. Although its ancestral line can be traced back millennia,  it was only by the mid-sixteenth century that its most ambitious family branch, rose to conquer, control and establish feudal rule over a large territory.

The Empire of Vietnam under its 13th and final Emperor was a nominally independent Japanese puppet state during the last months of World War II. It ended with his abdication following the surrender of Japan and the communist revolution by the anti-colonial Việt Minh in August 1945. This ended the 143 year rule of the Nguyễn dynasty.

Nguyễn is the most common Vietnamese family name. By some estimates forty percent of Vietnamese people bear this surname. The Nguyễn Dynasty awarded many people the surname Nguyễn during their rule, and many criminals also changed their surname to Nguyễn to avoid prosecution. As with other common surnames, people having this surname are not necessarily related.