Daughter from Danang (2002)
Directed by Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco
Featuring Heidi (formerly Mai Thi Hiep)
75 mins / PBS DVD / Unrated
Retail: $29.98 / Street: $26
by Alex Mestas 3/10/2004
More info: Amazon
Daughter from Danang DVD Cover
The Cover
During the Vietnam War, many children were born to Vietnamese women from American soldiers. Most often, it was a consensual situation wherein the Vietnamese women would get food and protection from the soldiers. Some of these children were orphaned, outcasts in their own communities and families, born into a life where they could not be supported. In a final bid to gain sympathy for the war effort, the US launched a mission to bring back those orphans to be adopted in the United States.

There was a problem though: not all of these children came from orphanages - in fact, many of them were given up reluctantly by their mothers to the arms of waiting arms of social workers. This was partially due to rampant rumors that swept through the Vietnamese countryside - that children were being killed and burned and for their safety, must be put under the protection of the United States. So in 1975, the US conducted what it termed "Operation Babylift." Heidi was one of these children who recounts her experience growing up in the documentary Daughter from Danang. Despite having a few memories of her life before coming to the US, she couldn't be more Americanized. More telling is her Southern upbringing, which is an amazing contrast against the poverty-stricken nature of Vietnam

The film follows Heidi as she makes initial contact with her mother back in Vietnam, eventually making a trip to visit the extended family. And although the interactions with the family are initially amiable and loving, they quickly sour because of vast disagreements in familial responsibility. As the sole member of the family living in the US, Heidi is expected to care for her family. The cultural and societal gaps between Heidi, her mother and half-brother appear in front of the camera for all to see, and play in painfully honest detail.

The problem with Daughter from Danang is a serious lack of depth. Originally featured as an hour-long special on PBS, the movie simply doesn't give us enough time to learn about Heidi, her family and more importantly, her interactions with her mother. From all outward appearances, the directors play it as though she is simply a tourist there to see the sights. and on a certain level, that's true. But as viewers, we just don't feel emotionally invested in her plight.

Heidi in Vietnam
Heidi in Vietnam.

Movie Grade: C+

Video: 4 out of 5
Shot on DV, presented as such.
Full Frame - 1.33:1

Audio: 3 out of 5
Your typical stereo presentation.
English (Stereo 2.0)

Extras: 0 out of 5
Nada.

Overall: 1.5 out of 5
Despite all the scores I've just given, I DID enjoy Daughter from Danang. But it's too slight and short of a movie to invest into emotionally. A worthy rental if you're interested in the subject.

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