On October 6, California State Assemblyman Tri Ta from the 70th District issued a press release urging the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to reject Vietnam’s promotional film “Red Rain” for the 98th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film in 2026.
The press release stated that “Red Rain” depicts Communist soldiers as heroes from the 1972 Battle of Quang Tri, insulting the American soldiers who sacrificed for freedom and the Vietnamese diaspora who fled Communist persecution. Produced jointly by the Vietnamese People’s Army Film Photography Department, “Red Rain” is not an artwork that promotes mutual understanding but a propaganda film that distorts history and disrespects American fighters for freedom and suffering Vietnamese people.
Tri Ta’s family immigrated from South Vietnam to the United States in search of political freedom and to escape Communist persecution. After graduating from California State University, Los Angeles, he became a small business owner. In 2006, Tri Ta was elected as a city council member in Westminster, Orange County, and in 2012, he became the first Vietnamese-American elected mayor in the U.S. He was elected as a California State Assemblyman in 2022.
“Allowing ‘Red Rain’ to be submitted for consideration by the Academy is equivalent to acting as a mouthpiece for a brutal communist regime that fundamentally does not respect basic human rights,” Ta said. “I urge the Academy to reject this film and take into account the concerns of Vietnamese and American veteran communities.”
Vietnam War veteran and human rights activist Ronnie Guyer expressed, “As a Vietnam War veteran who fought overseas for freedom and democracy, I am deeply outraged that this film might be awarded such a prestigious prize.”
“We still bear the pain of war, with about 58,000 American soldiers never returning from Vietnam,” Guyer said. “Seeing our military service distorted by propaganda is shameful and is an insult to every American and South Vietnamese soldier who answered the call to defend freedom.”
Films competing for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film opened for voting by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in October. The Academy will announce the 15 foreign film nominees on December 16 and select 5 nominated films on January 22, 2026. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
From March 30 to May 2, 1972, North Vietnamese Communist forces launched the “Easter Offensive,” defeating South Vietnamese forces and capturing the provincial capital of Quang Tri in South Vietnam. Le Duan, a radical leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party at the time, believed that with the 1972 U.S. presidential election and war-weariness among the people, the political climate would prevent a strong American response. The U.S. Air Force and Navy only provided air and artillery support during the offensive.
South Vietnamese forces launched a counterattack dubbed “Operation Lam Son 72” over a month later, from June 28 to September 16, 1972, lasting 81 days, recapturing Quang Tri Province south of the Thach Han River. The U.S. provided firepower support and created decoy landings to draw North Vietnamese troops.
Casualties from both battles exceeded tens of thousands, with nearly a thousand U.S. Marine and Air Force personnel killed, in addition to significant civilian casualties in the war or fleeing.
“Red Rain” tells the story of a North Vietnamese platoon during the second Battle of Quang Tri, featuring young individuals from diverse backgrounds. The film had a large production scale, using up to 7 cameras to shoot in a 50-hectare set built along the Han River in Quang Tri Province.
Currently, 87 countries have submitted films for the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film, including China’s “Dead to Rights,” Hong Kong’s “The Last Dance,” and Taiwan’s “Left-Handed Girl.”