Tag: Operation Bablift: The Lost Children of Vietnam

“Operation Babylift” screened at Pepperdine University

By: Jacklyne Rodriguez, Pepperdine University Graduate Student

Bert Ballard with his son, who was adopted in 2010. The journey to adopt the boy is highlighted in the film.
Bert Ballard with his son, who was adopted in 2010. The journey to adopt the boy is highlighted in the film.
Lyly Koenig Mendez and Ross Meador respond to questions from the audience. Mendez was evacuated during Operation Babylift and Meador was an orphanage volunteer during the Babylift. Both are featured in the film.
Lyly Koenig Mendez and Ross Meador respond to questions from the audience. Mendez was evacuated during Operation Babylift and Meador was an orphanage volunteer during the Babylift. Both are featured in the film.

On Saturday, February 9th, Pepperdine University screened  Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam. The screening was part of the School of Law’s annual conference on Law, Religion, and Ethics, which focused on intercountry adoption this year.

The audience, about forty, consisted of Pepperdine faculty, students, friends and various cast members from the film as well as conference attendees.

The documentary film featured volunteers, activists, and orphans who were brought to the United States as a result of the government sponsored “Operation Babylift,” which evacuated nearly 3000 orphans from war-torn Vietnam in April 1975.

The film highlighted activists’ memories of the overcrowded orphanages and featured stories of the adoptees who grew up in the U.S. enduring feelings of separation and experiences of racism.

After the film, a question and answer discussion commenced with updates from two of the orphans featured in the film. Bert Ballard, a communication professor at Pepperdine and adoptee, and Lyly Koenig Mendez, adoptee and small business owner, shared their reflections and personal stories.

Orphanage volunteer, Ross Meador, also joined the discussion and explained why he felt leaving the young orphans behind was never an option.

The film also focused on the Ballard family’s attempt to adopt a son from Vietnam. His wife, Sarah Ballard, also a Pepperdine communication instructor, was present and shared about the journey.

Although the film concluded without the audience having a definitive ending regarding the Ballard’s adoption, the audience met the Ballard’s adopted son who was adopted shortly after the film was released in 2010.

With active participation from audience members during the discussion, it was clear that the film and the journeys shared left a strong impact for all those in attendance.

The screening was also sponsored by Pepperdine University’s Center for Entertainment and Media, who also moderated the discussion.

The Record: Documentary on Vietnamese orphans has local touch

Robert Ballard of the University of Waterloo holds a promotional poster from a soon to be released documentary about a massive airlift of orphans out of Vietnam after the the war.By Frances Barrick, Record staff

Wed Jan 12 2011

He’s a University of Waterloo professor who is featured prominently in a documentary about the 1975 evacuation of thousands of orphans from war torn Vietnam.

Now Robert Ballard has arranged for the film, Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam, to be shown Jan. 22 at the Princess Twin cinema in Waterloo.

“A lot of people are interested in international adoptions and are intrigued by our story” and that led to this showing, Ballard said.

Ballard was just three weeks old when he and thousands of other Vietnamese orphans were airlifted during an American-led evacuation to protect the children from the impending threat of the Communist regime.

The orphans were adopted by families in the United States, Canada and Australia.

In their own voices, this movie tells the story of some of these Vietnamese adoptees growing up in America where they faced racism and being associated with an unpopular war.

Ballard is featured not only as a Vietnamese adoptee, but the film tells the story of the trials and tribulations he and his wife encountered as they tried to adopt a baby boy from Vietnam.

They were living in the United States when their plans to adopt fell through as the U.S. government ended its adoption program with Vietnam over allegations of baby selling, bribery and false documents.

In July 2008, the couple moved to Waterloo and started the adoption process again. Last May, they adopted Jayden, now 19 months, from an orphanage in Vietnam.

“Anyone involved in adoptions would be interested” in this film, Ballard said.

The documentary will screen at the Princess Twin at 46 King St. N. on Jan. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Although admission is free, a ticket is required. The event is being held as a fundraiser for the Vietnam Education Society, a Canadian-based non-profit group that builds schools in Vietnam.

To reserve a seat and or make a donation go to www.eventbrite.com/event/1089218883.

After the show, a discussion will be held featuring Ballard and his wife, Sarah Ballard, and Jared Rehberg, a cast member and the film’s associate producer.

The film coincides with a panel discussion on Jan. 21 at the University of Waterloo starting at 6:30 p.m. The panellists include three adult adoptees from Vietnam and Korea.