Global Village Foundation invites you to join us for a two-part program on Vietnam past and present day.

Film Screening
9:00AM-12:00PM

Based on the bestselling memoirs by Le Ly Hayslip, the biographical 1993 film Heaven & Earth (directed by Oliver Stone) remains relevant to this day. The film tells the powerful and deeply moving story of one woman’s journey from a child of war to starting over again as an immigrant in America to returning to Vietnam after decades away.

After the movie, stay for the Q&A panel with Le Ly Hayslip.

About the film

Heaven & Earth is a 1993 American biopic written and directed by Oliver Stone, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Haing S. Ngor, Joan Chen, and Hiep Thi Le. It is the third film in Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, following Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Stone expressed the need to balance out the trilogy by telling the story from a Vietnamese point of view.
Le Ly Hayslip was an on-set advisor ensuring authenticity in the film adaptation of her life.
Newcomer Hiep Thi Le had auditioned "for fun" while she was enrolled at UC Davis. She eventually landed the lead role to play Le Ly after a global search beating out thousands of hopeful actresses. Film critics hailed her performance as "extraordinary" while Stone said, "She was electric." Hiep went on to star in several more films and tv projects as well as becoming a celebrated restauranteur. When Hiep passed away in 2017, she had paved the way for other Vietnamese American actresses in Hollywood.
Recording artist and multi-instrumentalist Kitaro composed the film which won the 1993 Golden Globe for Best Original Score.

This film is rated R. Children under 14 should be accompanied by an adult. Trigger warning: The film contains dramatizations of violence, suicide and sexual assault that may be harmful and traumatizing to some audiences.

Lunch
12:05PM-12:55PM

Enjoy A free catered lunch courtesy of our event partners

Author Panel

The Vietnamese Podcast - Recording with Author Panel
1:00PM-2:30PM

Join an exciting panel discussion with Ted Osius, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, and Le Ly Hayslip on present day Vietnam, moderated by The Vietnamese Podcast host Kenneth Nguyen.

About Our Community Partners

Viet Creatives Collectives

The Vietnamese Creatives Collective strives to create a safe space for API creatives – actors, designers, filmmakers, producers, musicians, etc. By sharing our stories through art, we not only celebrate the richness of our culture, but also work towards bridging and healing from the generational divide(s) we experience within our own community.

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

Being part of a culture of almost 100 million Vietnamese people living in the world today has its pain and challenges, but it comes with plenty of history, privileges and honors. Join Kenneth Nguyen as he spotlights Vietnamese excellence from around the world. Each episode explores the creative process of individuals shaping the diversity of what it means to be Vietnamese--as a local, born and raised, or as a third culture kid, and even the divisions that separate us politically and culturally. This show can take multiple directions, but what it will do is show Vietnamese from a transpacific lens, in all its facets and complexities.

Thanks To Our Sponsors

Global Village Foundation would like to thank our generous sponsors for making it possible to hold this event free of charge for students.

About the Venue

SGC Parking

Film Screening and Podcast Recording

A dialogue about Vietnam past, present, and future. Watch or re-watch Heaven & Earth on the big screen then stay for a live recording of The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

Team Members