Kim

A 17-year-old Vietnamese orphan from a simple background. The death of her parents has forced her to seek work in the sleazy club ‘Dreamland’ in Saigon, entertaining American Marines. She falls in love with an American sergeant. Her faith is a source of strength that fuels her instinct for self-preservation; and with the birth of her son, her determination for survival becomes stronger still.

 

 

The Engineer

A Vietnamese pimp who has risen against adversity to become the owner of the aptly named nightclub/brothel, ‘Dreamland.’  He is sly and manipulative, always looking to make a quick profit and take advantage of the American occupation of Saigon and the dollars it brings. His ultimate dream is to escape Saigon and become an American citizen.

 

Chris

A young American marine, he has chosen to serve a second time with the army as a driver for the American Embassy in Saigon. He falls in love with a beautiful Vietnamese girl, Kim. When he finds himself back in his own country he has recurring nightmares, and is finding it impossible to reconcile in a new marriage to his American wife, Ellen. He is trying to come to terms with life when his sense of responsibility and the news of Kim’s survival force him to return to the East to confront his past.

 

John

An American marine and close friend to Chris, he holds a responsible administrative post in the American Embassy in Saigon. Upon returning home he devotes himself to helping orphaned children fathered by American soldiers during the conflict. He is the one who will break the news to Chris of his son, and again befriends him becoming his mentor and go-between as Chris prepares to meet Kim and Tam in Bangkok.

 

Thuy

A young, self-obsessed Vietnamese man; through a cultural wedding bond, he has been promised Kim’s hand in marriage. He is totally obsessive in his love for her and is determined to fulfill the original vows of their parents. As the North Vietnamese army invades Saigon, he changes from his allegiance with the South and becomes a high-ranking Commissar and uses his newly acquired powers to find Kim after the war and make her his personal property, by force if necessary.

 

Ellen

The American wife of Chris, she has become a stabilizing influence for her husband after the Vietnam War. She travels with Chris when he returns to the East, where she forces him to face his memories he has kept from himself and from her for so long. She is by his side when he is united with his son and they witness the tragic fate of Kim.