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The last American officials were airlifted out of Vietnam from the embassy roof in Saigon in 1975. Most have never returned. In 1998, World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports organized a 16-day, 1100 mile bicycle expedition through once war-torn Northern and Southern Vietnam. A non-profit organization that focuses on events for the disabled, World T.E.A.M. Sports drew an array of veterans from the U.S. and Vietnam, as well as celebrity riders like Greg La Monde and Senator John Kerry. Those without use of their legs used special hand-powered bikes, while blind riders pedaled from the back of tandem bikes. What is immediately apparent on the veterans' arrival in Vietnam is that their biggest handicaps are the ghosts of their pasts. Past enemies ride as one team in peace across a landscape they once killed to stay alive on. Much more than a race, the ride is an exorcism; the real finish line is the painful emotional confrontation each must make alone along the way.

120 minutes

Video

Recent News

Snag This: Vietnam, Long Time Coming

May 27, 2009

In honor of Memorial Day, SnagFilms included Vietnam, Long Time Coming in its special line-up of films "that enable us all to honor the fallen, and to reflect on our own duties of remembrance and action." SnagFilms hosts a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, and is also a platform that lets you “snag” a film and put it anywhere on the web. Vietnam was recently snagged and reviewed by Cinematical.

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Filmmakers

Executive Producers
Jim Benson
Paulette Douglas
Steve Whisnant
Sports Illustrated
World T.E.A.M. Sports
Producers
Jerry Blumenthal
Peter Gilbert
Gordon Quinn
Kartemquin Films
Long Shot Films
Co-Producer
Adam Singer

and 8 more

Press

"Vietnam: Long Time Coming registers as a heroic and essential piece of filmmaking that will surely be cherished in years to come."

—Jonathan Rosembaum, Chicago Reader

Distinctions

Directors Guild Awards, 1998 – Outstanding Directorial Achievement

National Society of Television Arts and Sciences- Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement, 1998

National Society of Film Critics, 1998 – Nominee, Best Documentary

Emmy Awards, 1998 – Nominee, Sports Emmy for Program Achievement

and 6 more