Interview with Thavisouk Phrasavath, co-director of "The Betrayal"
By: matisse_witness
Posted: Jul 17 08
Witnessed: 519 times
Asia, Laos, United States
Immigration , Refugees
War & Conflict
I met Thavisouk Phrasavath, the subject and co-director of “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” at Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival in June 2008. The film was a nominee for the WITNESS Award at the festival.
The film, shot over the course of 23 years, tells the epic, harrowing story of a family odyssey from war-torn Laos to the mean streets of New York. Thavi narrates his own story as a child surviving a war and then as a young man struggling to overcome the hardships of immigrant life, an experience shared with his mother who tells her own astonishing tale of perseverance as a wife and mother in war. Thavisouk’s unforgettable journey reminds us of the strength necessary to survive and of the human spirit’s inspiring capacity to adapt, rebuild, and forgive.
In this interview, Thavisouk discusses the reasons behind his decision to participate in the making of "The Betrayal".
The Betrayal will have its national broadcast premiere on PBS’s P.O.V. series in 2009.
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