This rare 1972 footage from Hanoi, North Vietnam, captures American prisoners of war (POWs) being used in staged propaganda events during the Vietnam War. The film includes a North Vietnamese-organized press conference, where American POWs are presented to foreign journalists under controlled conditions. A particularly striking sequence shows American prisoners forcibly marched through the streets of Hanoi, surrounded by what was staged to appear as an angry crowd—a calculated display for international propaganda.
Additional footage depicts the wreckage of downed U.S. aircraft, symbolizing North Vietnam’s resistance against U.S. air raids. These carefully curated images were broadcast globally to portray American prisoners as treated humanely while reinforcing anti-U.S. narratives.
This archival footage provides a critical historical perspective on North Vietnam’s psychological warfare and propaganda tactics, offering a rare glimpse into the experiences of captured American servicemen during the later years of the Vietnam War.