The North Wall: Meanings of a Monument examines the memorial unveiled in 1995 along the city’s waterfront and the evolving interpretations of conflict, remembrance and international relations. (VIDEO FRAME/UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
University of Windsor faculty members are helping bring new perspective and dialogue to an important piece of local and national history through their involvement in a recently released short documentary, The North Wall: Meanings of a Monument.
Produced by retired political science sessional instructor Blake Roberts, the film explores the significance of the Canadian Vietnam Memorial.
“Our interpretation of the Vietnam War is clouded by the Cold War and geostrategic conditions of the past,” explained Roberts.
“Today, despite an emerging multi-polar international order and drone and electronic warfare dominating the battlespace, some things remain the same: troops are still put on the ground and people still die.”
The documentary features prominent contributions from Dr. Gregg French of the Department of History and Dr. Stephen Brooks of the Department of Political Science, whose academic insights help frame the memorial within broader historical, political and cultural contexts.
The North Wall: Meanings of a Monument examines the memorial unveiled in 1995 along the city’s waterfront, not only as a tribute to Canadians connected to the Vietnam War but also as a reflection of evolving interpretations of conflict, remembrance and international relations.
“Worthy questions can be explored through the example of the Vietnam War fifty years after its conclusion and thirty years since the construction of the memorial,” said Roberts.
The documentary will be incorporated directly into student learning this semester.
On March 10, the film will be screened in Dr. Brooks’s American Foreign Policy course, followed by a class discussion exploring its themes and contemporary relevance.