Celebrate Asian Heritage Month with screening of Shining Light

Witness the journey of one young mother desperate to save her family in this true story documentary, Shining Light.

A special screening is planned for May 8 of the powerful documentary, Shining Light, in honour of Asian Heritage Month. This true story tells the harrowing tale of a mother, nine months pregnant, and her two-year-old son escaping Vietnam after the fall of Saigon.

Through interviews with mother and daughter, archival footage and photos, their story of escape and ultimately finding a home in Canada is told. Directed by Robbie Hart and produced by Peter Raymont and Gary J. Smith, Shining Light follows the journey of Mui and her daughter, Chieu Anh, whose name means “Shining Light,” from those harrowing beginnings to a new life in Canada.

It was late April in 1975, and the North Vietnamese had entered Saigon. Tens of thousands of innocent people were desperate to leave. Mui Nguyen Bui, heavily pregnant, held her two-year-old son as they waited on the steps of the U.S. Embassy hoping to be airlifted out on one of the last few helicopters. Gunfire forced the helicopter to abandon the lifesaving effort.

“The historical context is very interesting to me. It’s the fall of Saigon, 1975, thousands of families were desperately trying to escape. So, there’s a sense of urgency and this universal sense of humanity. We can all relate to what it must be like to be under attack, to be trying to protect your family. It’s also Mother’s Day weekend, so I thought this story of a mother and newborn daughter and their bond was worthwhile,” said Megan Smith-Harris, artistic director of the Stratford Film Festival.

Fifty years later, mother and daughter reunite with the helicopter crew that airlifted them from the Danish ship that rescued them after the ship they escaped on sank. They also visit with the immigration officer that chose them to enter Canada, putting together what Anh calls “all the pieces of my survival story.”

“There’s a lot of drama in this and a sense of urgency, plus the history, which for me was kind of an unknown history. I think that may be for some others too, but for those that remember, it will be interesting because of the archival footage and the behind-the-scenes access,” said Smith-Harris.

There will be a panel discussion following the film with producers Peter Raymont and Gary J. Smith and Elizabeth Heatherington, who was involved with Operation Baby Lift. Additionally, there will be a Zoom interview with daughter Anh.

The evening will open with the short film Desync, by Filipina-Canadian filmmaker Minerva Marie Navasca. The film explores a complex mother-daughter relationship, offering a contemporary and personal counterpoint to Shining Light. The film follows Ana, a young Filipina filmmaker as she stages a reenactment of a painful argument with her mother, rewriting each phrase in search of perfection and in the process revealing the deep cultural pressures that shape their relationship.

“What’s so compelling about Desync is how honestly it captures the tension between love and expectation,” said Smith-Harris.

Be on the lookout for the Stratford connection via Jennifer Villaverde who plays the mother, Celine.

The evening is generously sponsored by the City of Stratford and former Canadian High Commissioner Michael Welsh. The screening is May 8 at 7 p.m. in the Stratford City Hall auditorium. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish, with a suggestion of $20, and can be purchased online at stratfordfilmfestival.com.