One of the films I watched back in California, and was very touched by, is one made by a Japanese visiting scholar, Masako Sakata, on the devestating effect of Agent Orange, used widely by the US forces in Vietnam during the war. In the case of Masako, the movie was literally a personal requiem as the tragedy was to touch her personally, with the passing away of her husband, a US Vitenam war veteran-turned-photographer and anti-war activist…

[Masako Sakata, Telegraph Av, Berkeley. Photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy.]

Agent Orange: a personal requiem

Four years ago, Greg Davis, my husband of more than 30 years died at the age of 54. The cause was liver cancer, suspected to be brought on by his exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange while he served in U.S. army in Vietnam.

12% of the soil of South Vietnam was contaminated with 19 million gallons of defoliants sprayed between 1961 and 1970. 12 million of which was Agent Orange which contained dioxin, the most toxic chemical invented by man.

To deal with my sadness and loneliness, I started my personal journey to find out about Agent Orange, which was sprayed more than 30 years ago. I knew I needed to return to Vietnam.

I found the victims everywhere, so immediate and present. Children who were not even born then are suffering from all kinds of deformities and illnesses. In spite of such difficulties and poverty, everywhere I found love, caring, warmth. Meeting the victims and their families helped me heal.

The documentary also reveals some of the historical facts that led to unprecedented ecological disaster.

Agent Orange: A personal requiem is an indictment of U.S. foreign policy and corporate greed, as well as being a celebration of love’s ability to face enormous adversity.