On the 16th of October 1999 we flew to Vietnam with 32 containers holding 700 kg of equipment and 42 pictures for our open air exhibition. We left behind 10 tough months of research and preparation during which we experienced many highs and lows, and often came close to packing it all in. It was a relief to arrive on the 17th in Hanoi with all our equipment in tact.
			The film shoot took place until mid December 99. Our time spent in Vietnam was a real eye opener. We experienced many unnecessary problems with customs and local authorities. It took more than a week before we were free to do any shooting.
			In the 30 days of shooting we shot 11.000 meters of film. We used an Arri SR II Super-16 , a Jimi Jib Crane and Steadicam. Our main shooting locations were Hanoi, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Hong Gai and Ha Long Bay. Our main characters were the east German photographer Thomas Billhardt, Tran Viet Duc a Vietnamese photographer and Cao Lan Anh a young Vietnamese doctor.
			The absolute highlight of our shooting was the open air exhibition of war photos from Thomas Billhardt, which was located at Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi. We displayd 42 of Thoms' black-and-white wartime shots, blown up to 1 x 1,2 m (39 x 47 inches) on waterproof paper by Photo Studio 13 in Stuttgart and hung on a 5m (16+ ft) bamboo frame. For several days it was Hanoi's main attraction and we used it to watch the effect on, and reactions of , the local people, and to contrast the photos against our own live shooting. It was the first ever open air art exhibition to take place in Hanoi. The response form visitors and the Press was a major contribution to the success of our search for ex-war witnesses.
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