Abstract:

A personal story about the destruction of family and the journey towards reconciliation in the aftermath of war, from a perspective rarely seen on film. For the Vietnamese people, the fall of Saigon was the threshold of a dark and dangerous nightmare that would further destroy lives and divide families. Seeking their freedom, close to 2 million Vietnamese took to the sea in rickety boats, often with few supplies, and faced the horrors of nature, starvation, and unspeakable crimes committed by sea pirates. This gave rise to the name "Boat People." As refugees of a war-torn nation, they continued to live with the emotional and psychological scars of violence. Haunted and forever changed by their past, many chose to remain silent about the torments of war. While some have found recovery, others are still searching for peace, hoping to, at last, reveal their buried secrets. "First Morning" looks beyond war and politics, exposing the voices of an exiled community and ultimately, one family's difficult quest for healing. Winner, Best Feature Film at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. With Kathleen Luong, Catherine Thuy Ai, Dang Hung Son, Long Nguyen, Tri Johnny Nguyen.