The Friendship Village follows the life of George Mizo, a Native American veteran of the Vietnam War. Decades after the war, he realized a dream to build a village for Vietnamese children exposed to the notorious dioxin, Agent Orange.
This unlikely turn of events began with George's exit from Vietnam as a wounded soldier. His return to America sparked a powerful transformation, as he joined the country's huge protest movement and began to widely question his government's foreign policy. His early activism blossomed into the 10-year Friendship Village project, bringing together veterans from the US, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and Vietnam to build the village George envisioned. This documentary highlights their long and personal journey to make amends. Long suffering from the effects of Agent Orange himself, George Mizo died during the making of this documentary at the age of 57.
Award(s): Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary / Best Director (Documentary), New York International Independent Film and Video Festival; Silver Hugo (Documentary-Social/Political), Chicago International Film Festival; Columbine Award (for work reflecting non-violent conflict resolution), Moondance International Film Festival
