April 30 is the 40th Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War and the Liberation of Saigon. Please join Students for Peace & Justice for a special event commemorating the occasion.

Hearts and Minds (USA: 1974, 112 min.)
Wednesday, April 29, 6:00pm, U.C. Theater
1974 Academy Award, Best Documentary

The Classic Documentary about the Vietnam War

Hearts and MindsA courageous and startling film, Peter Davis's landmark documentary Hearts and Minds unflinchingly confronts the United States' involvement in Vietnam. It was made while the war was still in progress. Using a wealth of sources--from interviews to newsreels to documentary footage of the conflict at home and abroad--Davis constructs a powerfully affecting portrait of the disastrous effects of war. Explosive, persuasive, and shocking, Hearts and Minds is an overwhelming emotional experience and the controversial winner of the 1974 Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Hearts and MindsThe film recounts the history and attitudes of the opposing sides of the Vietnam War using archival news footage as well as their own film and interviews. A key theme is how American racism and self-righteous militarism helped create and prolong this bloody conflict. The film also endeavors to give voice to the Vietnamese people to demonstrate how the war affected them and explain their reasons for fighting the United States and other western powers. Ultimately, the basic humanity of the Vietnamese people that US propaganda tried to dismiss becomes apparent.

Hearts and Minds is a potent antidote to the concept of American Exceptionalism. Had the United States heeded the "lessons of Vietnam," perhaps the Invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan would never have happened. It's time to remind ourselves of what those lessons were.

A Lively and Respectful Discussion will Follow. Please join us.
You are welcome and encouraged to come regardless of where you find yourself on the political spectrum.
Diversity of opinion leads to richer discussions and deeper understanding.