Point of View: Distinctly Yours

While making Abandoned Allies, I have struggled a lot with point of view (POV). This is unusual for me, as point of view is rather easily established when writing (a space in which I am quite comfortable).

There are two very distinct possibilities for this film: American and Montagnard point of views. I have tried making the film heavy on one end or the other, as well as keeping it balanced among the two. It recently occurred to me, though, that I can legitimately only have one POV.

This is a film about the Montagnard-American relationships, but it is made by me--an American. While it would be lovely to make a film from the Montagnard perspective, this is not that film. I could produce that film and maybe event direct it--but this is not that film.

This is a great lesson for me, as a first-time filmmaker. When you make a film, it will be distinctly yours. I feel like since I'm an American--and I'm the one at the helm--this thing has to be distinctively an American POV.

I could be wrong about all of this (being such a noob), but I feel like this decision brings a considerable amount of peace to me as a filmmaker.

I've struggled with balancing the POV versus
making it disctinctly one or the other.

If I were from the highlands of Vietnam (like the Montagnards), this would surely would be a very different film. Perhaps that film will be developed one day. But right now, Abandoned Allies is an American POV and I'm quite alright with that now.