Love Letters to Vietnam is a new documentary from MAKE Films and director Sebastian Nieves currently in post-production. In 2022, led by Lei Williams, who is was born in Vietnam herself, eleven veterans returned to Vietnam after several decades, to finally put the past to rest. This is a story of reconciliation and remembrance, and of the men and women who were impacted by the war in Vietnam.
Lei Williams was born in Vietnam to a Vietnamese mother and American father, and at the age of five, she and her sister were airlifted out of Saigon by helicopter during the fall of Saigon. Adopted by American parents, she was unable to find her birth parents until later in life, and it opened a whole new window to her past. A schoolteacher, she began leading tour trips to Vietnam with students, and when she met some Vietnam veterans at a school assembly, a few of them asked if she would lead a trip for them as well. MAKE/ jumped at the chance to make a documentary about the trip and has been with them throughout this journey. After years of bake sales and other fundraising efforts, and then a Covid-enforced delay, Lei and the veterans were finally able to travel in June of 2022, and Sebastian Nieves was there alongside them on their journey.
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Director/DP – Sebastian Nieves
A few things have been present in Sebastian’s filmmaking from the very beginning: his Colombian roots, his loyalty to family, and the curiosity that drives him to find meaning in every image. He believes that living a rich and deliberate life leads to good work, and that a camera can be an instrument of God’s love. When we asked him to direct and document this trip, he jumped in wholeheartedly, and has brought out the best in everyone around him, getting people to open up about stories and experiences that they had buried for decades. His vision and passion is bringing this film to a whole new level, and we can’t wait for you to see it.
Editor – Jordan Graff
Jordan Graff has years of experience crafting documentary and narrative films for both TV and theater, and his talent for finding the heart of a story is really coming to the fore in the post production process.
Executive Producer – Derek Dienner
Derek Dienner is founder and executive producer for MAKE/ Films, and has a passion for telling meaningful and original stories that move people and inspire change and growth.