Amerasia

During the Vietnam War, lots of US soldiers fathered illegitimate children with women in Southeast Asia. They often grew up in orphanages, a fate shared by many of these so-called Amerasians. It is the questions of guilt, origin and homeland of these soldiers and children which the film pursues in a semi-documentary manner. In various conversations, GI and Vietnam veteran John Scott meets with people in Thailand who all have to struggle in their own way with the homelessness resulting from this past.

Directed by Wolf-Eckart Bühler, Amerasia leans on a strong ensemble — Terry Allen, Surachai Chantimatorn — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1985.