Vietnam’s Friendship Order presented to Japanese film director

Japanese director Masako Sakata (L) and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong (Source:VNA)

Tokyo (VNA) – The embassy of Vietnam in Japan and the Vietnam Associationof Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) held a ceremony in Tokyo on August 10 topresent the Friendship Order to Masako Sakatain recognition of her dedication to the campaign “Actions for Vietnamese AOvictims”.

Speakingat the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong lauded Masakofor directing two documentaries about Vietnamese AO victims and launching thefund “Seed of Hope” that provided scholarships for more than 100 Vietnamesestudents who are AO victims.

Masakosaid the death of her American cameraman husband from AO effects after fightingin Vietnam prompted her to travel to Vietnam in 2004 to make the first filmabout the topic.

Shehoped that her two documentaries, which will be screened in France in this October,will attract more viewers, thereby raising their awareness of the AO’sconsequences.

Atthe event, she also presented financial aid to VAVA on behalf of the “Seed ofHope” fund.

Herdocumentary film “AO – A Personal Requiem” was completed in 2007 while theother “A Vietnamese Father’s Journey to the Battlefield” was made in 2011. Bothof them were screened in many countries and won Japanese and internationalprizes.

The “Seed of Hope” fund has so far grantedscholarships worth nearly 2.3 billion VND to 113 students from 21 cities andprovinces in Vietnam.-VNA

VNA