Le Ly Hayslip and Lacie Mackey: Vietnam's Untold Stories and Woman Phu Nu

In this powerful episode of SLANT, host Dana Tai Soon Burgess welcomes Vietnamese-American author, activist, and philanthropist Le Ly Hayslip alongside filmmaker Lacie Mackey. Together, they explore the profound journey of documenting the untold stories of Vietnamese women through their new documentary Woman | Phu Nu. Le Ly shares her personal experiences growing up in a war-torn Vietnam and her lifelong mission to give a voice to the women who were often voiceless. Lacie discusses her collaboration with Le Ly and the deep significance of preserving these women's stories for future generations. Tune in to hear how their work illuminates the strength, resilience, and healing of these women through their intimate and groundbreaking documentary.

Le Ly Hayslip is an internationally known Vietnamese-American author, philanthropist, peace activist, and speaker. She grew up in Ky La (now known as Xa Hoa Quy), Vietnam during the American-Vietnam War. She wrote two best-selling memoirs—When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Child of War, Woman of Peace, based on her painful and ultimately triumphant journey from a traumatizing childhood in war-ravaged Vietnam to her new life in America. Having grown up in Central Vietnam as a woman, Le Ly shares a perspective that is unique when it comes to the Vietnam War. She received raving reviews for both books, including from The New York Times and The Washington Post. When Heaven and Earth Changed Places was included in the 1990 edition of Reader’s Digest’s Today’s Best Nonfiction. Her memoirs, having been published in 17 different languages throughout the world, are now used in several universities as course material to study women in history, the American/Vietnam War, and other topics. In 1993, the books were adapted into the film “Heaven & Earth,” directed by the award-winning director Oliver Stone and starring Hiep Thi Le and Tommy Lee Jones. 

Le Ly’s life as a humanitarian began after she arrived in the US in 1970 and became a US citizen, but returned to her native Vietnam in 1986. Her shock from the devastation, poverty, and illness left by the war became the impetus for her two philanthropic organizations, East Meets West Foundation and Global Village Foundation. Both organizations dedicate their efforts to humanitarian relief, education, and development to help rebuild Vietnam through providing basic needs (shelter, clean water, medical facilities, education), establishing revolving loan programs, and finding homes for several hundreds of orphaned children. Hayslip continues to lead groups and delegations in cultural and anthropological studies in her home village.

Le Ly has earned awards for her philanthropic work across global, including:

• The Crocket Global Citizen Award from the World Affairs Council (2014) 

• The Pride of America Award from Great Immigrants (2008)

• A biography written by Green Tree: “Who is Le Ly Hayslip?”-Asian Series Biography

• The Living Legacy Award from the Women’s International Center

• 3 Emmy Awards – From War to Peace and Beyond (documentary)

and many more.

Lacie Mackey is a filmmaker from Santa Fe, New Mexico. In her early career she spent 5 years  in television production and live shows with MTV, Comedy Central and CBS in New York City and on location. 

Her television work brought her to Los Angeles where she joined the feature action movie space with Tom Cruise's production company, completing  6 movies with his team before expanding into projects with Marvel, Lukas Film and Universal, contributing to  blockbusters such as Dr. Strange,  Black Panther 2, Jurassic World 2, Obi Wan Kenobi and Ashaoka. 

Her recent work in production has been for Universals Openheimer and Twisters. In 2023 she produced an Independent short that has since been played at 15 film festivals followed by Co-directing 2 feature length documentaries focused on telling stories of Vietnam 50 years after the war that is currently in post production. She is currently in production on a docuseries focusing on elements of food production on climate change. 

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