To what extent can images determine the fate of a war? How is it that military victories can become political defeats? These were issues that the U.S. heads of army had to face during the Vietnam War. And the issues persist today, for all armies in the world. For 50 years, military history has also been the history of relations between armies and the media. These relations include arrangements, protection and assistance, but also include conflict. With its changing nature, modern war has undergone a facelift, and a resulting change of image. Patrick Barberis revisits the turning point of the Vietnam War – the Tet Offensive in January 1968. Presenting previously unaired testimonies by legendary reporters who started their careers in Vietnam, and by interviewing military experts, all of them war veterans, the director explores this first modern conflict and interprets the fabrication of current-affair, wartime images.Previously unaired archive footage and the filmed testimonies of the soldiers themselves, shed light on the history of these images, giving the documentary “Vietnam, Treason by the Media” a new perspective on our understanding of international current affairs.
