“Last Days in Vietnam†chronicles the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on Saigon. With the clock ticking and the city under fire, American officers on the ground faced a moral dilemma: follow official policy and evacuate U.S. citizens and their dependents only, or ignore orders and save the men, women, and children they had come to value and love in their years in Vietnam. At the risk of their careers and possible court-martial, a handful of individuals took matters into their own hands. Engaging in unsanctioned and often makeshift operations, they waged a desperate effort to evacuate as many South Vietnamese as possible.
Rory is an Emmy Award winning independent documentary filmmaker, as well as cofounder and president of Moxie Firecracker Films. Her films cover an array of issues ranging from poverty to politics to human rights. Her work has been shown on HBO, A&E, MTV, Lifetime, and PBS. One of her more recent projects, “Ethel,†premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2012, and was nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. The feature length documentary is Kennedy’s most personal project to date, providing an inside look at the remarkable life of Ethel Kennedy, Rory’s mother and wife to Robert F. Kennedy. “Ethel†was broadcast on HBO in 2012. Kennedy has directed and produced more than 25 documentaries including “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib†(Primetime Emmy Award winner for Best Non Fiction Film, 2007); “Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House;†“American Hollow;†“A Boy’s Life;†and “Pandemic: Facing AIDS.â€
This keynote presentation will focus on Rory’s Oscar-nominated documentary, Last Days in Vietnam. ACP recommends you view her movie Last Days in Vietnam before attending the keynote. It is available to rent from Amazon and purchase from iTunes. Also, be sure to check out the website for interviews and clips of the film: http://www.lastdaysinvietnam.com/
Early-bird deadline for registration and hotel reservations is Friday, Feb. 6.