In 1965, the villagers of one district of central Vietnam found themselves on the frontlines of an increasingly brutal war. For these villagers, the war became a struggle for survival that prompted them to choose a remarkable course of action. Rather than flee their ancestral village, they dug a series of tunnels and moved their entire community underground. Through the personal stories of tunnelers, as well as one American former prisoner of war held in the tunnels, viewers are transported into this subterranean world.

Rare archival footage, much of which has never been seen in the West, reveals miles of catacombs where as many as two thousand people took shelter. We follow an artist who takes his son back to Vinh Moc village and explains how markets, theaters, hospitals, and schools were created in those war years. An American Air Force historian gives his perspective. This extraordinary film contains a capsule history of the war, a war which the Vietnamese call "The American War."

"An excellent tool for history teachers. Shows how a technological superpower could be soundly defeated by an intrepid nation of barefoot peasants. Highly recommended." Video Librarian
"An intriguing perspective on history." Booklist

American Anthropological Association, 1998
Silver Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival, 1997
Association for Asian Studies, 1997