...it would be particularly surprising if viewers of the film failed to be impressed with the Lin that we see throughout the film.
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In May 1991, the idea for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial was conceived, with dozens of the world´s most prestigious architecture firms submitting more than 1,000 distinct designs for the structure. Out of such intense competition, whose design should emerge victorious but that of 21-year-old Yale architecture student, Maya Lin?
From the outset of her selection, it was clear that Lin would not have an easy time winning support for her vision, despite her selection by the committee responsible for the design decision. She faced opinionated, passionate opposition from stalwart veterans who utterly opposed her design as a travesty of a memorial. Even more daunting, she had to testify before Congress, in a nervous and emotional voice, to convert a group of political leaders and observers of her conviction. Passions regarding the unpopular war ran extremely deep a mere six years after its official completion.
As if her selection for such a momentous project is not enough testimony to the personal qualities of Lin, the manner in which she faced such opposition confirms the strength and talent of Lin as an exceptional artist and person. This is the portrait of Lin that we derive in filmmaker Freida Lee Mock´s Academy Award winning documentary feature, "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," available for the first time on DVD from Docurama.
And it would be particularly surprising if viewers of the film failed to be impressed with the Lin that we see throughout the film. From the nervous 21-year-old student, to the ensuing decade where Lin matures into a confident PhD graduate celebrating the anniversary of the memorial´s completion, a radical transformation takes place. Clearly the adversity, the experience, and the passion for her work take Lin into a new personal space to be sure, but also into a status as a major artist and architect in her own right.
"Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" shows its age in many respects, in the time at which the original interviews were filmed in the early 1980´s, to the decreasing relevance of the Vietnam War as a popular conversation piece in the aftermath of more recent conflicts, particularly of the Middle Eastern variety. Yet as an individual portrait of a person, "Maya Lin" shows its worth. The "Best Documentary Feature" award was no accident – Mock has brought Lin to life in most colorful fashion.
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[release]11028[/release]