With narrations by Crystal Yu and animation by May Kindred -Boothby
RB Media presents…
A short film by Rupert Bedford
Dang Thuy Tram has been described as the ‘Vietnamese Anne Frank’.
“In June 1970, as American forces close in on her jungle clinic in the mountains of Central Viet Nam, a young doctor records her thoughts in a diary…”
So the film starts.
Crystal Yu narrates the diary excerpts
With diary narrations by Crystal Yu (Casualty, Keeping Faith) and hand drawn animation from May Kindred-Boothby (I have a Message for You, This Stolen Childhood) this short film gives a poignant insight into seven days in the life of young North Vietnamese doctor, Dang Thuy Tram, during the war in Viet Nam.
Interspersed with anecdotes from her mother Doan Ngoc Tram and wartime colleague Ta Thi Ninh, the film draws on the direct uncensored testimony of Thuy Tram’s diary to bring to life her personal fears and hopes amidst the horrors of war. And it touches on the remarkable story of how the diary was saved and eventually returned to Thuy’s family by a US soldier some thirty five years later.
Seven Days and 35 Years is in essence a personal story about a brave young woman and her diary that touched a nation. And it is a story of reconciliation between families and nations. But it is also ultimately a story of humanity amidst the inhumanity of war.
“You have presented a very moving story that is as true as I would imagine. And presented it in a way that is exactly what life presented when it was originally first on life’s stage. I know because I was there for the premier and actually had a very small part in the story of Thuy’s life. For that I thank you”
A Not-For-Profit Production in support of;
Blue Dragon is a Hanoi based charity (UK registered) that rescues child victims of human trafficking and street children and provides them with long term care and support.