Nerakhoon (The Betrayal), opened in NY this weekend at the IFC and is a film worth seeing if there are screenings near you.
The piece follows the life of Thavisouk Phrasavath as he grows up in Laos during the Vietnam war, escapes to Bangkok after his father is picked up in the night to go to “re-education camp”, reunites with his mother and siblings at a refugee camp when they escape the country, and then moves to the United States of America – the supposed promised land that turns out to be nothing more than hell on earth for Thavi and his family. With his father gone, and Thavi the eldest son, the film chronicles his journey of moving into this role while seeking to find an identity for himself in their new home.
The film’s plot is structured around Thavi’s first visit back to Laos as an adult to see his grandmother and two sisters who were left behind. The story uses the technique of memory to take the viewer through time and space seamlessly – following a plot that is far from linear without “losing the thread” creates an engaging and dynamic experience for the viewer. It is perhaps this element of time that gives the film such depth – over 20 years of filming with Thavi and cinematographer Ellen Kuras.
Though there is plenty of historical data about the Vietnam War presented in the film – Thavi says in a Q&A afterwards, “we don’t want this to be a historical film, based on this, so we dedicate just a very small part to it.” Truthfully this is done very well, and the most powerful elements of the film pull on timeless threads of the effect of war on people’s lives. He goes on to say of the film, “this is the new face of history, of American history – written by the people, not the government.”
Though this film on its face is a story of hurt and tragedy, it holds within it the light of the uncanny ability of the human spirit to overcome. Despite the destruction the United States has been responsible for in his life, Thavi exudes pride in the ideals that America stands for, and he gives no indication of desiring to abandon the place he has come to know as home – he just wishes to some day fully fit in. He realizes much must evolve before this is to happen and it seems that Nerakhoon is his way of helping to effect this change. He says, “We hope that this film will reach out to as many people’s heart and soul as possible, and help bridge the gap for future victim’s of war.”
