In 1976, while in a refugee camp in the Philippines, the writer and producer Cathy Linh Che’s parents, two Vietnam War refugees, were recruited as extras in the filming of Apocalypse Now. Christopher Radcliff’s short documentary, We Were the Scenery (Winner of the Short Film Jury Award at Sundance 2025), details their story. It’s our honor to present this film, which you can also view on The Criterion Channel and read more about on their site.

Working across three countries (USA, Philippines, Vietnam) and multiple formats (Super 8, VHS, digital), Radcliff traces the history and travel that brought Che’s parents to the United States. His concise account of how they left Vietnam on a boat, became involved in Francis Ford Coppola’s notorious production, and adapted to life in the US moves between different visual registers. Cinematographer Jess X. Snow’s constant shift between Super 8, VHS, and digital formats mirrors their history, with each format grounding their memories in the specificity of its time.

“It is meaningful for us to share this film with audiences worldwide in 2025, which marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. It also comes at a moment when a new generation of refugees and the realities of war once again enter our global consciousness.” CHRISTOPHER RADCLIFF & CATHY LINH CHE

While the imagery of Apocalypse Now has become synonymous with the Vietnam War, it’s often its military iconography that’s best remembered — the countless explosions, firearms, and helicopters. While Coppola certainly doesn’t paint the US’s exploits in the region with any semblance of virtue, their aggression and firepower remain central in his film. What Radcliff achieves is something novel, bringing focus to the people who have so often been considered a mere element of that film’s background, and who are often overlooked vis-à-vis the Vietnam War.

Christopher Radcliff is a New York-based filmmaker. His first feature, The Strange Ones, which he co-directed with Lauren Wolkstein, was released in 2017 to much acclaim on the festival circuit. Among its champions was John Waters, who dubbed the film one of the best films of 2018. Since then, Radcliff has continued directing while teaching in the Film/Video Department at Pratt Institute.

Text written by Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer. Special thanks to Cathy Linh Che, Andrew Migliori, Christopher Radcliff, Ashley Clark, and Aliza Ma.