Sunday, October 5, 2014--8 pm

Hello,

Be sure to arrive to class tomorrow having read the two stories assigned on Wednesday, October 1st, in your text, Flashes of War.

And...as you already know, you are to view the documentary, Daughter from Danang, this coming week.

I realize it indicates on your syllabus that you were to watch it BY tomorrow, but with having to cancel classes last week, I did not give you the link to view it. Below you will find the link.

Be sure to watch the film by Monday the 13th. We will be discussing the film in class on the 13th and preparing to write about it on Wednesday, the 15th.

Daughter from Danang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AU_VUe2HX0

Also!
Before you view the film, read through the discussion questions below. As you view the film, think about how you would answer these questions. You are NOT going to hand in your answers, but come to class prepared to discuss them on 13th. They are connected specifically to the in class essay #1.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS---THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

1. One reviewer describes the film as a “gut-wrenching examination of the way cultural differences and emotional expectations collide.” Would you agree this is an accurate description? Why or why not? Explain specifically.

2. Were there parts of the film that made you feel uncomfortable? If so, what were those parts and can you articulate why they made you feel uncomfortable?

3. Heidi acutely feels that she has been rejected by two mothers: her birth mother who gave her up and her Tennessee mother, whose cold, untouching demeanor drove a wedge between them. How does this fact impact Heidi and what she ultimately experiences when she returns to Vietnam?

4. The film is considered a very powerful one by many other small filmmakers as well as many reviewers. In your opinion, what makes this an effective or ineffective film?

5. What preconceived ideas about home are proven inaccurate after viewing the film?

6. In an interview with the filmmakers, they admit that when they decided to film Heidi’s return to Vietnam, they assumed that the reunion would be a healing story, a kind of full circle coming home. The war in Vietnam was long over and they felt they could create a film that would ease the collective pain that is still connected to the war. Instead, what they did discover?

7. Some viewers have condemned Heidi for representing an aspect of American culture that they believe is selfish and individualized. What do you think and feel about Heidi’s reaction for the family’s request for money?