SPOTLIGHT.
TAO-ANAS LE THANH
INTRODUCTION
Tao-Anas Le Thanh (he/they) makes videos for a diversity of projects and clients from dance, to events or fashion. In 2021, they worked on Thin h/as h/air and The Life of Times with the Scottish Dance Theatre, supported commissioned artists with editing for The Fringe of Colour Films and made their trailers, edited films for the Architecture Fringe and for Janice Parker’s piece Small Acts of Hope and Laments for the EIF.
INTERVIEW
How did you get into your current practice? What initially inspired you?
Making videos has always been my favourite way of expression. It helps me share what I see in the world and think, in a way that feels more true than words. I have been mostly inspired by documentaries, especially observing ones because that’s what I do anyway in any social situations. I like to put myself on the side of whatever is happening and finding while filming but especially through editing what were the tensions and beauty that were happening. That’s probably why I love filming dance because it becomes a conversation between both ways of expression.
What themes do you tend to interrogate in your work?
I like to find beauty in small things, and I want to make people think and be angry and hope.
What is your favourite project you've ever worked on and why?
It would probably be Janis Parker’s Pop Up Duets. I fell in love with the piece and Janis’s work, the dancers work, Pippa Murphy’s music and Kathryn Joseph’s voice. I kind of accidentally ended up being involved from the rehearsals before the premiere and accidentally happened to be there on the last performance in Hong Kong three years later. It’s a piece about love that takes place in public spaces and I think it touched me because it’s about finding beauty around us, the dancers could be anyone amongst the audience, and it’s a feeling I like to find in my work so working together was a great match.
What advice would you have for creatives of colour looking to get into filmmaking/the creative industries?
If you act in white spaces the way you’re expected to, it will probably help your career a bit but you’ll hate yourself for it. Also you will find actual love, respect and support (respect also means in how well you are paid) in spaces and organisations led by other racialised or queer people or true allies. Once you find these places keep them because that’s where you’ll be allowed to thrive and be yourself
What are you currently working on?
I just finished many projects so I’m exhausted and I will “rest” by hopefully editing at last some personal projects I filmed while in Vietnam.
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Photo on front page by Francis Augusto