Director’s Note
MAKING PEACE WITH VIET NAM focuses on the aftermath of war.
The Vietnam War produced tremendous suffering on both sides. This suffering can be seen in the orphans, widows, and veterans who still carry the pain of their personal traumas. It can be seen in those who still suffer from illnesses linked to chemical agents used during the war. It can be seen in the lingering anger that continues to threaten the well-being of individuals, their families, and their communities. The violence of war produces a ripple effect that extends indefinitely into the future, sowing the seeds of future violence and suffering.
We put a great deal of effort into making war, but relatively little effort into the work of healing the wounds of war. Until we address the wounds -
those we have inflicted as well as those we have received - there cannot be true peace in the world.
We now find ourselves engaged in a war that is frequently compared to the Vietnam War. The fairness of those comparisons can be debated, as can the legitimacy of our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. But one thing is certain: the present war is producing suffering that we will have to deal with for generations to come.
This film documents the lingering consequences of the Vietnam War, as revealed through the efforts of a handful of Americans and Vietnamese who have dedicated their lives to the work of reconciliation.
There are still lessons to be learned from Vietnam - not the usual cautionary lessons about failed military and political strategies, but moral lessons about reconciliation and peace; about the urgent need to heal the wounds of war, and the cost of neglecting those wounds.
Synopsis
The first chapter of the film is a brief montage of scenes of life on the Perfume River. The sequence begins at sunrise and gradually moves down river toward sunset, ending with the title of the film.
The second chapter (REMNANTS OF WAR) recounts the utter devastation caused by the war in Viet Nam, and America's subsequent unwillingness to come to terms with what really happened there. There is no archival footage in this or any other segment of the film. Instead, the story is told by interview subjects who were eyewitnesses to the violence and its consequences.
In the third chapter (MENDING WALL), we move to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (built in 1982), which marks the beginning of the reconciliation process for Americans. Echoing the theme of Robert Frost'’s poem “Mending Wall,”' this chapter raises questions about what the memorial '”walls in and what it walls out.”'
The fourth chapter (HEARTS AND MINDS) examines the situation in contemporary Viet Nam. Focusing on Hue, the site of some of the worst fighting of the war, this chapter looks closely at current efforts by the Vietnamese government, with the assistance of American NGOs and private individuals, to address the lingering consequences of the war - chiefly the effects of Agent Orange and the tons of unexploded ordnance that still claim lives in Central Viet Nam.
The fifth chapter (PEACE IN OURSELVES, PEACE IN THE WORLD) is also set in Hue, which was the birthplace of the “Engaged Buddhism” movement during the war. After 40 years in exile, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, who founded the movement, returns to the monastery at Tu Hieu pagoda in Hue. He discusses the Buddhist perspective on reconciliation and the special challenges for making peace with Viet Nam. This chapter also includes interviews with American veterans who have found personal healing and inner peace by following the teachings of this Vietnamese monk.
Chapter six (GOING BACK) follows three American veterans who returned to Viet Nam to get involved in humanitarian work. Each one shares a personal perspective on the meaning of going back, both in terms of how it helped them reconcile with themselves and with the people they once fought against.
The concluding chapter (BEGINNING ANEW) returns to the 'mending wall' theme. Many of our interview subjects reappear to make concluding statements about the prospects for making peace with Viet Nam.
Ordering Information
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