it is the immigration story of a Laotian family. their father helped the US military during the Vietnam War. i love this story. i don’t know why i love this story. not just this story but the thousands and thousands of stories like it…the family immigrates to the United States expecting a heroes welcome… or at least that america will take care of them... what do they get… nothing… and the rest of the story is about survival, disappointment and… um…
so... about this deep connection i have to place…
i have never been a flag flying patriotic citizen… i was not that into school spirit in high school either… i was happy to leave high school… and when i first left this country to be somewhere else i was pretty happy too… but after 18 months in a foreign country i was excited to come home… in South Africa i still remember my friend Amalese (sp?)… he was desperately trying to immigrate to the US or Canada… he was a refugee from the Congo… he said he walked out of his country… he ran… without shoes… he ran because he didn’t want to be forced into the rebel army… i didn’t understand what was happening at that time… the history that was being made… but i did understand and i could feel he and his friends were without a home… they had a place to stay but no place that really belonged to them…
after being absent for so many months i returned to this place (america)… i drove for three days through this country's beautiful deserts…spaces that rise to touch the sky… places that call me to share this same sky… this shared sky… it is my homes… this place i trust… i trust that i can leave and she will wait for me while i am gone…
(if you plan on seeing the film stop reading now)
the co-director Thavisouk Phrasavath and director Ellen Kuras answered questions after the film… Thavis’ father was taken as an enemy before the family escaped to Thailand where they were refugees. Thavis’ father escaped his work camp… for 13 years he was alone in Thailand… he couldn’t contact his family in Laos… so he started a new life… new family… they eventually immigrated to the U.S. as well… the father finally found his family… they reunited… then after a week father tells the family he is leaving again… this time to be with his new family… abandonment…
a man in the audience asked about this… asked about Thavis’ loyalty… i was totally impressed with the way that he answered… he said he will always remain loyal to his father in this life because his father gave him life… i felt from him such a strong sense of love and respect… a love for his life… and love for family connection… many people who have experienced what Thavis experienced allow life to make them bitter… but he was so filled with light… it was too much… as in I was right in front of him while he was speaking and i started to cry when he explained that no matter what he will always remain loyal…
gratitude, forgiveness, love… these things take the most painful contorted experiences and make men and women of light…
awesome…
and i am still trying to figure it out.
3 comments:
You went back to South Africa?! I don't think I knew that....
Awesome posts, btw. I'm a little jealous, I've never been to the sundance film festival!
no... i never went back to SA... i might have been referring to when i went to SE Asia...
and thanks glarcy...
and it is not too late... go to a movie tomorrow... i would say lets go together... but i have to move tomorrow...
just go to the venue about earlier in the day - get a standby ticket - show up 30-45 min before movie and depending on the show you could probably get in... especially the ones that are being shown in slc...
Sounds as if you are having some enlightening experiences of late, not that you are ever at a lack. I had a similar experience when spending time in Germany. I love the country and wish the U.S. would adopt some of Germany's practices, especially as concerns the environment, but I longed for my home country at times while I was there. I missed the Colorado sunsets and thunderstorms, the Rockies and sandstone bluffs, among other things. I gained a new love, and a mild disdain, for my country when I left if for a long time.
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