The Revolutionary Moment: Portraits of Viet Cong

Portland, OR: Stray Dog Press, 2013. First printing. (64) pp., 6.25 x 9.25 inches.

Thirty-four black-and-white photographs, published in an edition of 250 signed clothbound copies, of which 25 are deluxe copies, accompanied by a signed and numbered digital archival print. This is a deluxe copy, with the print laid in; regular copies are also available from Passages Bookshop.



In the 1980s, Vietnam veteran Don Unrau created extended portraits of fellow veterans (gathered in his portfolio War Story, also available from Passages Bookshop). Not long after, he returned to Vietnam for the first time, and then many times.

Twenty years later, Don made the thirty-four portraits of Viet Cong veterans in The Revolutionary Moment. As he describes in the short preface:

There was a time when Quang Ngai province was not as peaceful as it is today. It was one of the most hostile places for the French during their occupation of Viet Nam. After their victory over France, the communist Viet Cong revolutionaries continued to fight for independence during fifteen years of violent conflict against the United States.

During our war, numerous atrocities took place in Quang Ngai, the most notorious at My Lai. With permission from a Quang Ngai veteran’s organization, I traveled commune to commune around the My Lai area meeting war veterans to make the portraits in this book. Twenty years of photographing in Viet Nam had made me more at ease around the people I once fought against.

Portraiture varies greatly, consequently informing us in many ways. While making these photographs my intent was not merely to reveal their physical presence, but also with empathy to perceive an unexpressed heaviness of war.

Both digital and platinum exhibition prints of the portraits are also available from Passages Bookshop, for which prices vary. Please inquire for more information.