I copied some information from the official website (which can be visited by clicking here).
Watching this film was like watching a train wreck: you want to turn away but can't. It was hard to see such misunderstanding between the two sides, and to realize that each one probably would have done things so much differently if they could go back and do it over again. I was surprised that Heidi didn't seek any counseling before (or after) her trip... She carried a lot of luggage with her on this trip, and most of it was emotional baggage."A heartbreaking documentary that upsets your expectations of happily-ever-afters, Daughter from Danang is a riveting emotional drama of longing, identity, and the personal legacy of war. To all outward appearances, Heidi is the proverbial “all-American girl”, hailing from small town Pulaski, Tenn. But her birth name was Mai Thi Hiep. Born in Danang, Vietnam in 1968, she’s the mixed-race daughter of an American serviceman and a Vietnamese woman. Fearing for her daughter’s safety at the war’s end, Hiep’s mother sent her to the U.S. on “Operation Babylift”, a Ford administration plan to relocate orphans and mixed-race children to the U.S. for adoption before they fell victim to a frighteningly uncertain future in Vietnam after the Americans pulled out. Mother and daughter would know nothing about each other for 22 years."
"Now, as if by a miracle, they are reunited in Danang. But what seems like the cue for a happy ending is anything but. Heidi and her Vietnamese relatives find themselves caught in a confusing clash of cultures and at the mercy of conflicting emotions that will change their lives forever. Through intimate and sometimes excruciating moments, Daughter from Danang profoundly shows how wide the chasms of cultural difference and how deep the wounds of war can run--even within one family."
RUNNING TIME:
81 Minutes
U.S.A. 2002
It reminds me how import people's expectations are to how they feel about an experience. Each of these groups had different expectations, and it created a lot of friction. The same situation with different expectations would have changed everything...
We were very fortunate to have dinner prepared for us by Mrs. Kim, Heidi's natural mother. I'll post pics later when I have access to my camera. Mrs. Kim lives in a middle t upper-middle class neighborhood in Vietnam. None of you in the US would consider it middle class, but standards are very different here. I will tell you that the food was wonderful, and Mrs. Kim talks about her daughter in the US with a stubborn denial of the breach between them. She is warm and affectionate, hugging us all, touching our arms while she spoke to us. She obviously went to great lengths to host our dinner, and it was delightful.
You can (and should) watch the film, which is available on Netflix, or check local PBS showings.
No comments:
Post a Comment