Regret to Inform

Released 1998
Directed by Barbara Sonneborn

Venturing to Vietnam 20 years after her husband was killed in a mortar attack, filmmaker Barbara Sonneborn finds a mesmerizing landscape filled with the psychic remnants of war. Getting beyond the physical and emotional devastation, she talks to those on all sides of the struggle, discovering a common bond in loss and, ultimately, understanding. Filled with extraordinary archival footage, breathtaking visions of modern-day Vietnam and heart-wrenching stories from American and Vietnamese women who lost their husbands to war, Regret To Inform takes the viewer on an unforgettable journey that begins with the phrase, "We regret to inform you"...

Summary from netflix.com

War is hell. Not only for those fighting, but for the families left behind. This film explores the personal stories of women who lost their husbands and family in the Vietnam war. Barbara Sonneborn travelled to Vietnam to find closure and to talk with widows there, some of whom may have played a part in the death of her own husband. It is haunting and very moving. The film never makes an overt political statement, but simply discusses the suffering of those who lost their loved ones due to the Vietnam war. --Bill Alward, May 13, 2001