The Invasion (1775-1975)

Seven Brides for Uncle Sam documents the stories of seven Newfoundland women who married American servicemen. Some of the largest military bases outside of the United States were in Newfoundland. It was called the "friendly invasion." From the beginning of World War II until the end of the Cold War, when the last base closed, as many as forty thousand Newfoundland women married Americans. Many of these liaisons were happy; some were not. In this film the momentous events of world history that brought men and women together are but a backdrop to poignant stories of romance, heartbreak, and joy.

On June 6, 1944, a combined force of American, British and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. The Allied invasion of occupied France was a turning point in the war against Hitler's Germany. From a tactical view, Canada's role was limited; strategically, it was pivotal. Canada's infantry and armored regiments were thrown against Germany's elite troops and tank divisions. The price they paid was enormous.

It is January 1954. The Korean War is over. Captured UN soldiers held in POW camps are free to return home. Those who refuse repatriation to their homeland are transferred to a neutral zone and given 90 days to reconsider their decision. Among them are 21 American soldiers who decide defiantly to stay in China. Back in the United States, McCarthyism is at its height. Many Americans believe these young men have been brainwashed by Chinese communists through a new form of thought control. But what really happened? Featuring never-before-seen footage from the Chinese camps as well as interviews with former POWs and their families, They Chose China tells the fascinating stories of these forgotten American dissidents. With the Cold War fading into memory, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Shuibo Wang (Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square) aims his camera on this astonishing story. In They Chose China, we meet and begin to understand a group of courageous men who fought for and then cut ties with the USA.