Child of War

I was born in Saigon, just after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. As a little girl, I watched a Buddhist monk burn himself. Later, I learned he self-immolated to protest the South Vietnamese regime my dad worked for. We saw the night sky ablaze. It was exciting. My nanny lied to comfort me, saying the flames were gods and goddesses chasing each other. We never knew the truth.

My father, the Director of Press for South Vietnam, predicted our side would lose. One stormy night in Saigon, dad gathered us and said “pack your bags, we’re leaving.” In America, life was no fairytale. At school, kids called me names and blamed me for the war. Lost between two worlds, I found refuge in movies and martial arts. I trained under Bruce Lee himself. He told me he’d never wear a Chinese braid and I promised Bruce not to play a Chinese whore. We had a pact to win Oscars and show Hollywood we were proud of our heritage. We Asians are finally working it out…

Bride of God

“Tiana has a gift for the strange encounter” – The New York Times. Hollywood came calling in 1970 and I was introduced to the stars. I flew out to Hollywood with Jack Valenti, President of the Motion Picture Association. My first A-list date was Kirk Douglas. But my true love was introduced to me by Bruce Lee: Stirling Silliphant, his student and Oscar-winning screenwriter. Stirling and I married in grand Hollywood style—on the Fourth of July. The biggest stars attended and it was broadcast nationwide. As a wedding gift, I was given a yellow Rolls-Royce to shop Rodeo Drive in style. I lived a life of glamour, but something was missing. And then 1975… Saigon fell. My homeland was gone.

I forged ahead with my career. At the time, Stirling was one of the only writer-producers in Hollywood creating roles for Asians. I became an actress, starring with James Caan & Robert Duvall in The Killer Elite, and as a female Bruce Lee in Catch the Heat, with Rod Steiger. Music found me—Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones managed me, and I collaborated with Bob Casale (of Devo) becoming one of the first music video pioneers on MTV.

I felt a calling. Ignoring warnings, in 1987 I returned to Vietnam with a camera, determined to see my homeland again. The country was broken, its people struggling, yet everywhere Stirling and I traveled, we witnessed powerful moments of former enemies embracing in forgiveness. One Vietnamese woman – the mayor of Vinh – asked us for materials to build a bridge, “so our children can cross it together.” I was riveted by this poetic, forgiving spirit and – thirty years later – keep coming back.

Widow of Peace

My first film, From Hollywood to Hanoi, was a groundbreaking documentary that premiered at Telluride Film Festival and was nominated at Sundance. But then tragedy struck. Stirling passed away in Thailand. My hero was gone. I was left on a park bench, looted by lawyers and ruthless opportunists.

Still, I kept going. Today, I’m thrilled to see my beautiful homeland becoming a thriving cultural destination for the whole world. I find myself the bridge from past to present, bringing two legacies together. Vietnam is more than a war—it’s a beautiful country with a deep history and dynamic future. The journey continues.