- Welcome to POV.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Tonight, we bring you
an Oscar-winning documentary from 1995.
The subject of the film, the artist,
and the Academy Award win all were surrounded by controversy.
Tonight's film is Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
is a destination for many when visiting our nation's capital.
It is considered one of the most powerful and beloved memorials
in the world.
This was not always the case.
When the memorial was first constructed in 1982,
it was controversial.
Critics and visitors alike were split in their opinions
on its design.
Many critics referred to it as being too somber
and basic, consisting mostly of black granite.
Some said it did not showcase enough heroism of soldiers,
and some said it was not patriotic enough.
You probably have your own opinion on the memorial,
and if you don't, tonight's film should help you formulate one.
As controversial as the work itself,
so was the artist who created the memorial,
and is also the title character of tonight's film, Maya Lin.
Maya was a 20-year-old Chinese-American artist
who won a nationwide competition to get the gig.
Some critics were not happy she was Asian.
She was accused of having more sympathy for the Vietnamese
than fallen Americans.
Through the controversy,
she remained as solid as the granite in her memorial
and steadfast in her artistic vision,
a vision that is now widely heralded as a work for the ages
and remains her best-known creation.
If that weren't enough controversy,
the film's Oscar win brought even more.
Despite positive reviews,
the Academy award brought criticism
from several film critics.
Two other highly-regarded documentaries,
Hoop Dreams and Crumb, came out the same year,
and many, including New York Times film critic Janet Maslin,
thought they were more deserving.
Roger Ebert called the film's nomination cronyism,
due in part to the fact
that the film's director, Freida Lee Mock,
had just been the chair of the nominating committee
a year earlier.
Mock did recuse herself from the committee that year
and refuted the allegations, even hiring a lawyer.
She was later apologized to by Ebert and Gene Siskel.
In addition to winning an Oscar for tonight's film,
Freida Lee Mock was Oscar nominated four other times
for films she had either directed or produced.
She's also won two Emmy Awards.
In addition to all the hardware,
she's received many honors for her craft.
Mock is the first governor of the documentary section
of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
She founded the American Film Foundation.
She's had multiple films screen on PBS over the years,
and in 2023, Maya Lin was chosen for preservation
in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress
for cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
Okay, enough talk, and no more controversy.
Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.