Award-winning documentary by Rory Kennedy debuts at Mary D. Fisher Theatre
Sedona,AZ (october 16, 2014) – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of the award-winning documentary “Last Days in Vietnam” by Rory Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy. This powerful film will show Oct. 19-23 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
“Last Days in Vietnam”chronicles the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War, when North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance quickly crumbled.
The United States had only a skeleton crew of diplomats and military operatives still in the country. With the specter of a Communist victory looming and only a skeleton crew of diplomats and military operatives still in the country, the United States prepared to withdraw. The prospect of an official evacuation of South Vietnamese becomes terminally delayed by Congressional gridlock and the inexplicably optimistic U.S. Ambassador.
As they began to realize the likely imprisonment and possible death of their South Vietnamese allies, American diplomats and soldiers confronted a moral quandary: obey White House orders to evacuate only U.S. citizens, or risk being charged with treason and save the lives of as many South Vietnamese citizens as they can. With time running out and the city under fire, an unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands, engaging in unsanctioned and often makeshift operations in a desperate effort to save as many South Vietnamese lives as possible.
“Last Days in Vietnam” includes an unusual interview with former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and rare footage of courageous rescues — some conducted as “black operations” against the orders of American officials.
At Sundance in January, director Rory Kennedy — the 11th daughter of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy — took a standing ovation bow at the end of her premiere of “Last Days in Vietnam.” The documentary is a shocking eye-opener because you think you know what it’s about: How the U.S. left Saigon in a hurry at the end of the Vietnam War. But it’s more than that. It’s about a group of maverick heroes who went against military authority to save countless lives. It’s about people trying to do good, for a change. And succeeding.
“Last Days in Vietnam” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre Oct. 19-23. Showtimes will be 4 p.m. on Sunday and Tuesday, Oct. 19 and 21; and 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 22-23. 
Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.
