Journey from the Fall (2006)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Ham Tran

Writer:

Ham Tran (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Thirteen years after the end of the Vietnam War, a family who was tragically affected by the war are forced to emigrate to America. |

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam War | 1980s | 1970s | Nonlinear Timeline | Rescue

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Kieu Chinh	...	Ba Noi (Grandmother)
Long Nguyen	...	Long
Diem Lien	...	Mai
Jayvee Mai The Hiep	...	Thanh
Khanh Doan	...	Nam
Cat Ly	...	Phuong
Nguyen Thai Nguyen	...	Lai
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raul Alba	...	Bully
Robert Beckman	...	Teacher
George Bui	...	Binh
Alex Dorman	...	PE Teacher
Jose Gutierrez	...	Bully
Jiruyut Khieosawat	...	Son
Tere Morris	...	Miss Patty
Net Ngo	...	Grandma on Boat
Hieu Nguyen	...	Trai
Kim Chi Tran Nguyen	...	Kieu
Lam Nguyen	...	Khanh
Preston Tri Nguyen	...	Young Lai
Thomas Thong Nguyen	...	Old Man in Street
Thuy Nguyen	...	Granddaughter On Boat
Javier Ortiz	...	Bully
Thuan Phan	...	Village Woman
Tam Thanh	...	Tuan
Tanya Wong	...	Binh's Granddaughter

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence.

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Vietnamese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Santa Ana, California, USA

Company:

A Fire in the Lake

Goofs:

Factual errors: While the Vietnamese who had relocated to Southern California were in an English class, the blackboard read, "Wednesday June 21 1981." June 21, 1981 was a Sunday.

Poignant Film of Our Time

This amazingly poignant film is very much overdue. For over thirty years the film industry has put out the same films of the Vietnam War. Each one focusing on the American point of view. Each one forgetting to mention the Vietnamese people who were also affected.

I encourage everyone, of all backgrounds, to watch this movie. It's not only moving but cinematically beautiful. Through this movie, I was able to see my parents' journey to America brought to life. Their words were illustrated and their feelings conveyed through motion picture. While watching the movie, I couldn't help but feel fortunate to be alive in a country where I am free and fortunate that my parents made it through their journey. My parents and many like them, made an ultimate sacrifice, to leave behind their home, their loves, their family -in search of freedom and opportunity in America. Through the movie, I was reminded of a mother's ultimate undying love for her child, a father's unconditional love for his daughter, and the unbreakable bond of family, culture and tradition.

One of the character's mentioned that we can never forget our past…those words never struck truer. No matter what country I reside in, what culture I am raised in, what nation I chose to adopt as my own –I will never forget the sacrifices of my parents', the oppression and degradation of my grandparents and the loss of freedom of my ancestors. I am and forever will be a Vietnamese-American…and proud.

I hope with the release of this film, others will understand the struggle of the Vietnamese people after the war. American troops were not the only ones affected. Although their struggle and pain is undeniable, there were millions of people who were also affected -citizens of Viet Nam were killed, and their rights stripped of them and to this day, they still struggle.

I hope viewers understand the rage and angst Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans have buried deep within each of us. I also hope this film allows the older Vietnamese generation to have faith that the younger generation is proud and appreciative of our roots. We will not forget…we will continue the struggle towards freedom for our forefathers…for ourselves and we will always keep the memories alive.

Thanks to director Ham Tran for such a wonderful film. He is so young, yet incredibly talented. The risks and sacrifice he took for this movie somewhat resembles that of a hero in our community…which is quite a rare trait.

Please see this movie and learn from the lessons...you don't need to be Vietnamese to see it, you just need to be human.