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Operation Babylift to be presented at SMU Leadership Conference

Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam to be presented at SMU Leadership Conference


DALLAS, TX –Dallas-based nonprofit organization ATG Against the Grain Productions will showcase excerpts from their award-winning documentary Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam as a part of a presentation for Southern Methodist University’s annual Asian American Leadership and Educational Conference (AALEC). Filmmaker Tammy Nguyen Lee, a SMU alum, will join LA-based cast member/adoptee DC Wolfe in a panel immediately following to discuss their experiences working on the project and in the film industry. The presentation and panel will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, February 19th at SMU’s Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theater.

Operation Babylift is Tammy Nguyen Lee’s feature directorial debut and tells the story of how more than 2,500 orphans were airlifted out of Vietnam during the last days of the Vietnam War and their tumultuous journey growing up in America.  The documentary incorporates a historical and contemporary view of this little known and controversial part of American history, featuring compelling interviews from a cross-section of adoptees, their parents and volunteers, as well as archival and rare home video footage. “The story of Operation Babylift relates to so many people on a number of levels and covers issues of identity to international adoption today. In a particularly relevant time, I’m honored to share it with young minds who can use it as a springboard for their own growth and learning,” said Tammy Nguyen Lee.

AALEC’s mission is to connect high school and college students with speakers and workshops that address cultural issues as well as leadership and career planning. “We think that the students would get a deeper understanding of the meaning of finding their identity and learn from Tammy and DC on how having confidence has helped them reached their goals,” said Yen Diep, AALEC Programming Director.

ATG Against The Grain Productions, a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, promotes Asian-American cultural awareness through compelling media projects and raises funds for international orphanages. Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam has received the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at the Vietnamese International Film Festival and the Documentary Audience Choice Award from the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. For more information, visit www.AgainstTheGrainProductions.com or www.TheBabylift.com