All Points of the Compass: A Vietnamese Diaspora 2005
Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40th Street, New York, NY 10016; 202-808-4980
Produced by Rymer Bayly Watson and Film Finance Corporation Australia
Directed by Judy Rymer
VHS, color, 55 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Asian American Studies, Asian Studies, Multicultural Studies
Date Entered: 02/28/2006
Reviewed by Cliff Glaviano, Coordinator of Cataloging, Bowling Green State University Libraries, Bowling Green, OHCharles Tran Van Lam (1913-2001) served the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) as Minister for Foreign Affairs. He was a signer of the Paris Peace Accord (1973) and evacuated from Vietnam during the Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1973. This documentary centers on the family of Tran Van Lam before and after his exile to Australia, where he previously had served as Ambassador from the Republic of Vietnam. Tran Van Lam believed that his country would be best served through the education of his nine children in France, Great Britain and the U.S., anticipating his children would return to Vietnam to serve their country through their professions, their multicultural experience and acquired language skills. The story describes how each of the children made personal choices between Asian and Western values and how those choices continue to influence their lives in Australia, Canada, France, Scotland, and the United States.
As a high-profile government official, Tran Van Lam occasionally appeared in news footage about the Vietnamese war and the peace process. He also had the resources to film or photograph family gatherings and vacations. These film and photo resources were combined with on location interviews and edited into an excellent production worthy of the high values expected from Australian television. Tran Van Lam loved his country and trusted the Americans who pledged to keep South Vietnam safe. The film documents 31 secret letters of support from President Nixon to Vietnamese President Thieu, and also indicates that Tran Van Lam signed the Paris Peace Treaty only because U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger personally guaranteed the safety of South Vietnam.
Though the expatriate experiences of the children of Tran Van Lam cannot generally be compared with the wrenching experiences of many of the displaced persons from the former South Vietnam, the film ably captures the difficult choices that must be made by those assimilating into different cultures, and how they are perceived by the adopted culture. All Points of the Compass is recommended for its insights into the psychological aspects of cultural choice, culture change, and assimilation.