Keyword Asian Diaspora

Jason Lu, a Hongkonger living in LA, works a shift at a restaurant and finds himself in a bizarre situation, and facing a deadly problem.

Co-directed by acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras and subject Thavisouk Phrasavath, this haunting documentary chronicles a refugee family’s epic journey from Laos in the aftermath of the secret war waged by the United States there to New York, where they find themselves fighting a different kind of war on the streets of Brooklyn. Filmed over the course of 23 years, THE BETRAYAL is a visually and emotionally stunning look at the complex ways in which the political shapes the personal.

An imaginative telling of the story of a Vietnamese American mother-daughter duo who, in their attempt to heal the rift between them, reenact and satirize scenes from celebrated Vietnam War films while depicting a diasporic reality. Two inventive storylines complicate The MOTHERLOAD to levels of absurdity. Both of these glide in and out beneath the narrative backbone of Jessca and Kim’s personal story, and reflect the stunning disconnect between the Vietnamese diaspora and the world’s understanding of their presence.

Surprises arise when Wei opens his lunch box filled with dumplings.