Donghwan Kim Screening response: Daughter from Danang

Daughter from Danag is about the family reunion taking place after about fourty years of separation, the clash between two different cultures, and the drama about the Asian American identity. The Vietnamese mother had to let go of her little daughter to a U.S. program called “Operation Babylift”, which adopts the Vietnames children to an American family in order to protect them, as well as trying to make the war look more humane to the U.S. public. Heidi, the daughter is half American, because her father was an American GI. Thus, with her Caucasian looks, she adapted to the new environment in Tennesse, grew up, and got married to a white man.
However, she always had a desire to meet with her real parents, and she contacts many agencies to find the mother in Vietnam. The film starts as Heidi knows where her mother and the Vietnamese family is. She talks about the pressure of facing the ‘real mother,’ talks about the experience of being adapted to a white family, how she felt about her adopted mother. Then she goes to Vietnam in order to meet her biological family.
There are very dramatic and emotional moments, especially when the mother instantly notices Heidi and cries on the sight of her daughter. A few days pass in a dream-like happiness of reunion. However, as time goes, Heidi slowly realizes the size of the gap between the life and culture of her mother and American culture. The tension grows, as smothering heat and humidity of Vietnam annoys Heidi more and more. Finally, the big blow, hits her as her mother and her biological brothers and sisters ask her for financially aiding the family and take care of her old mother. For Vietnamese people, it is most natural for a grown up daughter to participate in taking care of her old parents, but Heidi cannot stand the pressure. A hysteria takes over the happiness, and Heidi leaves Vietnam with a mixed feeling.
This ending was very stunning to me. Everthing had to be an emotional extreme when the two separated worlds meet each other, and the misunderstanding was inevitable. The film tells that the War that separated the mother and daughter was too overwhelming that its effect lingered on aftere 30 years. Also, it provided a very subjective narration of an Asian American’s identity as being under the umbrella of American culture while still wanting to find her origin. The drama, the tension, the introspection of one’s identity.. It is a good film to watch.