23 August 2006

In the Shadow of Vietnam Documentary (1994)

When New Zealand troops returned from Vietnam, they came back to an angry public protesting New Zealand's involvement. Exhausted, physically and mentally scarred, they were told to get out of uniform as soon as possible and not to tell anyone where they had been.

Despised and ignored, the Vietnam veterans never received the public acknowledgement given to soldiers in all other wars. As New Zealand tried to forget it took part in the conflict, the nation's experience of the war came from the American or Australian perspective while the Kiwi soldiers remained silent.

Using original film footage – shot by the veterans themselves during their tour of duty, the film powerfully captures the emotion of the war and mood of the times. Through painful memories and with tears and laughter, the veterans tell their stories for the first time on film in a forgotten chapter of the legacy of the Vietnam War.

Outstanding film and television producer and director Tainui Stephens (Te Rarawa) fronts HE RARANGA KORERO which dusts off archival documentaries from the past relating to Maori and the Pacific and presents them again in today’s modern context.

HE RARANGA KORERO: In the Shadow of Vietnam (Top Shelf Productions, 1994) on Māori Television, Wednesday August 23 at 9.30 PM.

In Brief
What: HE RARANGA KORERO: In the Shadow of Vietnam
Where: Māori Television
When: Wednesday August 23 at 9.30 PM
Web:www.maoritelevision.com

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