Out of Competition


ENTERTAINING VIETNAM



Country of production: USA
Year: 2002
Language: English
Mins: 53

Director: Mara Wallis
Script: Mara Wallis
Cinematography: Nathan Kaufman
Music: David Michael Anslow
Editing: Mara Wallis
Sound: Eric Kuehnl
Producer: Mara Wallis
Source: Mara Wallis
1750 Vallejo St. #106
San Francisco, CA 94123
USA
Phone: +1 415 885 4052
Fax: +1 415 929 1675
mxyz@earthlink.net


Bob Hope, Ann Margret, Connie Stevens, Raquel Welch - many of the entertainers who entertained Western troops during the invasion of Vietnam were well-known. But most were not. These are some stories from the grunt troops on the war's R&R front. Mara Wallis of Australia spent two years on that front, working as a dancer, and traveling with musicians, comedians, and other performers. They hitched rides from base to base, performing on improvised stages and landing zones. They, too, faced danger and death. They, too, had casualties. In this film, she returns to the intensity of the times to tell some of their compelling stories.

Interweaving rare archival footage and interviews with veteran Australian and American performers, ENTERTAINING VIETNAM offers new insight into a tumultuous time, and the paradoxical phenomenon of entertainment inside of war.

Mara Wallis has a background as a professional dancer. Originally from Australia, she spent over 2 years as an entertainer during the Vietnam War before moving to San Francisco. She is the author of a book and a screenplay, which also centers around the Vietnam War.

filmography as director
ENTERTAINING VIETNAM (2002)

Guest speaker

Monday 05-Apr-2004 7:00 PM Facets Cinematheque
Screening with BASCHET