Vietnamerica

Scott Edwards's documentary follows the journey of Nguyen Tien Hoa, a martial arts master who escaped Vietnam as part of the massive boat people exodus, as he returns to Southeast Asia to seek emotional closure. Hoa escaped from Vietnam in a boat together with 75 family members and friends, but the craft was captured by Thai pirates and he became the sole passenger to survive a horrific assault. Four decades later, after establishing a new life in the United States, Hoa goes back to search for the graves of his wife and two children. Hoa's odyssey, which carries him across Thailand and Malaysia, and his efforts to overcome grief through his martial arts education are used as a backdrop to describe the Vietnamese diaspora during the boat people years. The film also looks at some of the more successful efforts of some refugees to create bold new lives on American soil—most notably Viet Luong, the first Vietnamese-American general in the U.S. Army, and military scientist Nguyet Anh Duong. Vietnamerica is an expanded version of Edwards's 2015 festival-award-winning short Master Hoa's Requiem. A trenchant, inspiring, and moving portrait, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)