The Vietnam War, or more appropriately, ‘The American War in Vietnam’, is one of the most complex and divisive conflicts of recent times. With advancements in television broadcast capability, the conflict saw unprecedented press coverage, with the horrors of war delivered daily to Western living rooms for the first time. The impact that the press and its images had on public perception of the war was significant. It contributed to America losing its innocence as a nation and gave birth to a popular distrust in government that has intensified to this day.
For every iconic photograph from the Vietnam War seared into public memory, there are thousands more that tell the story of its moments in a different way. In a single frame soldiers could be immortalised, demonised or sympathised with. While they say a picture can tell a thousand words, it tells little of the happenings outside its borders of its frame; it is this often missing context that accompanies many images from the war. Often lost or untold it leaves the viewer to imagine that particular moment.
This is a short video series of lesser known photographs from the Vietnam War, recreated with sound and motion.