"The Left Eye of God: Caodaism Travels from Vietnam to California"
A new ethnographic documentaryWatch the Trailer from the California Council for the Humanities
Caodaism, born in French Indochina in 1925, is a syncretistic blend of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Catholicism. The fall of Saigon in 1975 brought an exodus of refugees, and the religion of Caodaism, to the state of California. In "The Left Eye of God," Caodaists share firsthand accounts of Vietnam’s painful history and discuss their hopes for Vietnam and the United States.
"The Left Eye of God" was filmed in Vietnam and California with support from the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the USC Center for Visual Anthropology, and the California Council for the Humanities. Narrator: Kieu Chinh. Research Assistant: Thien-Huong Ninh.
Film Credits
Producer: Janet Hoskins, Contact Prof. Hoskins
Director: Susan Hoskins
Narrator: Kieu Chinh
Research Assistant: Thien-Huong Ninh
Camera: Patrick Gallagher
Music: Pham Duc Thanh
Additional Music: Kim Tran
Translation/Voiceover: Van Dang
Archival Footage:
- WGBH Stock Footage, Senior Researcher Michael Mushlitz
- ABC News Video
- MGM Clipstill
- Gerald Ford Library
Additional Archival Video
- Thien Ly Buu Toa
- Hum Dac Bui
- Tran Quang Canh
Outback Edit Post
Tree Falls Sound
- Mike Klinger D.D. Stenehjem
The filmmakers thank the following individuals:
- Hum Dac Bui
- Hue-Tam Ho Tai
- Stanton Hunter
- Jeremy Jammes
- Sylvana Valeri
- Jayne Werner
Copyright 2005 - 2008 CRCC and the University of Southern California