Institute History
Description
Regret to Inform superbly portrays the lasting devastation of the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of women, both American and Vietnamese, who lost their husbands. This is the story of one woman’s journey to Vietnam, twenty years after her husband was killed there, and the women she encounters who were affected by the war. Hoping to find some closure for her pain and loss, Barbara Sonneborn wants to see and feel the places where her husband spent his last days. By intercutting emotional testimonials from women on both sides of the war who share their suffering, she makes us understand how real this war remains. Through seeing many different women’s perspectives, we recognize how their emotions contrasted: helplessness on the part of those in the United States versus inevitable participation by North and South Vietnamese women.
A very powerful, yet quiet, film, Regret to Inform develops a yet-unseen perspective: that of those left behind. Focused on Vietnamese and American women, the film is filled with exceptional interviews which are revealing and poignant. Testimony to Sonneborn ’s uncommon ability is the remarkable level of honesty and openness the women are willing to share on camera. The viewer is taken on an exceptionally well-crafted journey, which includes beautiful camerawork and a seamless mixture of new and archival footage. Deeply personal and vastly universal, Regret to Inform is an involving and moving lesson about the painful legacy of war.
Barbara Sonneborn, Director
Born in Chicago in 1944, Barbara Sonneborn has been a visual artist for twenty-six years. While she was pursuing a career as a psychologist, her young husband was killed in Vietnam. His death led her into the arts. She received her MFA in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her photographs have abeen exhibited in museums and galleries. She has produced theatrical set designs, installations, and children’s books. Regret to Inform is her first film.