Documentary on Vietnam War uses keepsakes to tell its story

A documentary film on the Vietnam War with English subtitles will begin airing on Vietnam Television this week.

The 50-minute work, titled Ky Vat Chien Tranh (War Memorabilia), was written and directed by Le Minh, a journalist and documentary filmmaker.

The work covers the war’s events and battles through keepsakes from both American and Vietnamese soldiers during the war.

To complete the film, Minh and his staff travelled around Vietnam and the US, interviewing dozens of soldiers who had kept and exchanged objects and diaries.

The film staff interviewed American veteran Bob Frasure, who had found and kept a diary written by Vietnamese war martyr Vu Dinh Doan of Hai Duong Province for 40 years.

In 2012, the diary was returned to Doan’s son, who cried when he received the diary.

“I asked myself why Bob kept the diary of a Vietnamese soldier, and why he found the way to return it. I answered my questions after filming,” said director Minh, who spent four years on the film.

“Bob cried when he knew that the diary was kept by Doan’s family. He told us that finally his wish had come true, so he now can live in peace,” he recalled.

In an interview with The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports & Culture) newspaper before the release of the film, Minh said he wanted to help younger generations learn more about the country and world’s history.

“Keepsakes contain moving stories that can tell us about the war and the life of soldiers,” he added.

The film will air at 9.40pm on VTV1 on July 25. It will also be broadcast on several foreign channels.

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