Vũ Hiên Thư Oral History

This interview is part of the Vietnamese in the Diaspora Digital Archive. http://vietdiasporastories.omeka.net Interviews were conducted by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation as part of the national 500 Oral Histories Project. The interviewee has granted The Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation copyright of the audio, video and photo materials and it is being made available for non-profit educational use. -- Vũ Hiên Thư is a Vietnamese revolutionary, journalist, filmmaker, and author whose life and work provide a rare, first‐hand account of the tumultuous events that shaped modern Vietnam. Born in Vietnam during a period marked by colonial domination and national struggle, he became actively involved in the revolutionary movement from a young age. His early years were defined by participation in armed resistance and political activism during the war for independence, which led to multiple incarcerations by government authorities. Following his release from prison in the mid‑1970s, he transitioned into the fields of journalism and film. He worked as a screenwriter and scriptwriter while also documenting the country’s political and social transformations through his writings and reports. His noted work, Night in the Middle of the Day (alternatively known as Nêm Giữa Ban Ngày), blends personal narrative with critical commentary, offering insights into both the internal contradictions of the Communist Party and the broader impact of external influences—from the Soviet Union and China to the United States—on Vietnam’s destiny. In 1992, disillusioned by state repression and the evolving political landscape, he chose self‐exile, an act that marked a significant turning point in his life.