A soldier's journey back to My Lai

Vietnamese veteran director, Le Dan's film Nhung Buc Thu Tu Son My (Letters from Son My) will premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival to open on May 12.
Vietnamese veteran director, Le Dan'sfilm Nhung Buc Thu Tu Son My (Letters from Son My) will premiere at thisyear's Cannes Film Festival to open on May 12.

"The film had been made in hurry to be on time for Cannes FilmFestival," Dan said.

After its screening in Cannes on May 18, Nhung Buc Thu Tu Son Mywill be screened in HCM City at the end of June.

The 87-minute feature follows American war veteran William Calleyduring a trip back to Vietnam . Calley had participated in 1968'sinfamous My Lai massacre during the American War in Quang Ngaiprovince's Son My Village.

The film opens with footage of the 2007 meeting between PresidentNguyen Minh Triet and George W. Bush, which reminds Calley of hismemories of Vietnam and arouses feelings of guilt and remorse withinhim.

Calley then decides to return to HCM City for Christmas andtravels to Quang Ngai. On the trip, the guilt-ridden Calley, who hasbeen given the name Peter Cage in the script, discovers his soul andlearns about the meaning of forgiveness.

During his time in Vietnam , the veteran writes letters to his wifetelling her about his feelings and impressions during his time in SonMy.

"The film was based much on a true story during periods of war andpeace, which aims to send a message of peace and love," Dan said.

He added that Nhung Buc Thu Tu Son My was one of the best and mostimportant films he had made during his career.

Born in 1928 in HCM City , Le Dan studied in France in 1946 andgraduated from law school. In 1950, he studied film at two famous filmschools in Paris at the same time.

He worked as assistant director in French director Marcel Camus's filmMort en Fraude (Fraudulent Death and Fugitive) in Sai Gon and with theAmerican director Joseph L. Mankiewicz on The Quiet American in 1956.

He made his first movie Hoi Chuong Thien Mu (Bell Tone of Thien MuPagoda) in 1957. His works like Con Meo Nhung (Black Cat),

Pho Tuong (The Statue) and Xuong Rong Den (Black Cactus) won manyawards and certificates at national film festivals and from VietnamCinema Association.

He also made TV series including Ong Co Van (The Adviser) and NgoaiTinh (Adultery). He is also the CEO of the UNESCO Cinema and MultimediaCentre in Vietnam .

During his trip to Cannes , Dan will present his latest filmproject about General Vo Nguyen Giap, which is planned to beginproduction next year.

"I think making a film about General Vo Nguyen Giap will beanticipated by both the Vietnamese and people around the world," Dansaid./.

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