From: baky@lasalle.edu
Subject: Re: Vietnamese films on the American war
Phil Dickenson _
surf into La Salle University's library homepage and search under the
subject heading Vietnamese Conflict. Then start looking at the subheading
drama and or film. you will find about 600 titles. There are more than 6
vietnamese titles in this Collection I believe.
We own all 600 films on video and laser disk so we may be able to work
something out with through interlibrary loan.
John Baky
Director of libraries
__________________________________
[2]
From: "James L. Wood" <jwood@mail.sdsu.edu>
Subject: Re: Vietnamese films on the American war
Try to get "Hearts and Minds."
James L. Wood <jwood@mail.sdsu.edu>
__________________________________
[3]
From: <TONYW@siucvmb.siu.edu>
Subject: Vietnamese films on the American war
Dear Phil,
It is virtually impossible to buy or rent Vietnamese films save for the
artistically safe THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA. The six Vietnamese films road-
showed on 35mm are now in the vaults of UCLA. No attempt has been made to
get them on video.
Since, at least two - KARMA and WHEN THE TENTH MOON COMES - are both
poignant melodramas and represent the Vietnamese as sympathetic human beings,
it is not surprising that they have never been shown by those still
committed to representing the Vietnamese in terms of "Tojo and his bug eyed
monsters" from WW2 movies.
Just think of the implications if US audiences saw that Vietnamese are
real human beings who suffered great personal and physical loss during the
War? Would not there be shame expressed at the representations in RAMBO and
Chuck Norris movies. The lack of avilability may not just be accidental.
However, I'm sure that those involved in the underground world of laughing at
the FBI anti-copying logo at the beginning of video intros may soon contact
you.
Best Wishes,
Tony Williams
______________________________
[4]
From: Walter Teague <wteague@igc.apc.org>
Subject: Re: Vietnamese films on the American war
Actually, there were many films about the US War against Viet Nam
made in Viet Nam and then sent to various countries to be dubbed
and shown later all over the US.
A group I was with circulated a catalog of many such films and
sent copies to hundreds of showings around the US. Most of our
copies were seized by the New York members of the
Revolutionary Communist Movement just before it became the
Revolutionary Communist Party. I believe the films were
subsequently turned over to someone else, perhaps Columbia
University. The RCP was fast becomeing more and more anti-Vietnamese
at that time and so had no real interest in seeing the films
be shown.
One of the best, one copy of which we showed for a time and later
was seized by the goverment, was a drama called Revolution in Vietnam,
(Not sure of the title now). An earlier catalog has 26 such films some
with English voice overs and some with English scrips only.
I will look for the later catalogs.
Walter Teague
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Walter D. Teague, LCSW-C, LICSW
Clinical Social Worker in Maryland and DC
Tel. 301-439-6755 Fax 301-439-2436
____________________________
[5]
From: "Tube" <ramnix@pronet.it>
Subject: Re: Vietnamese films on the American war
I saw an amazing documentary on British TV about three years ago. Too bad I
can't remember what it was called! 'The hidden war'? or something like that?
Secret army? I dunno. Sorry. But it was almost ninety minutes of genuine war
footage filmed by Vietnamese warriors. It told (and showed how the
Vietnamese (women included) would lie face down in their tunnels under the
jungle, not moving an inch for two or three days at a time so American
troops could not hear them. Also how they cooked in those tunnels - They'd
dig tiny multiple chimneys for each campfire so that there was never enough
smoke rising from any one source on the ground to alert the Americans to
their presence.
I guess most of you know these stories, but this film actually shows it
happening, in original grainy black and white stock.
The movie is devastating as it clearly shows the dedication of the
Vietnamese to their cause - They were determined to sit out the war and
NEVER give up their soil to the imperialists.
This film thus illustrates clearly that America never could have 'won' in
Nam. It was ingrained in the soul of every Vietnamese fighter to just hang
until the last yankee boy had got fed up, tired, frightened or disillusioned
and gone home again for some apple pie. The strategy worked.
See this film. Viewed on any level, in any context, whatever your viewpoint,
it communicates a life lesson - Never give up for what's important to you.
Adam "Tube" Nixon