The Betrayal (Nerakoon)

During the Vietnam era, Thavisouk Phrasavath's father was involved with the US military's covert operations in Laos, helping the CIA to identify targets for bombing runs. But the family was torn apart when the American-backed Royal Lao Army fell to the Communists in 1975, with father sent to re-education camp, and his wife fleeing the country with Phrasavath and seven of her other children. Seeking asylum in the US, they settled in Brooklyn, but the promised life they had anticipated was far from the reality of poverty and discrimination they encountered.

In the mid-1980s, renowned cinematographer Ellen Kuras met Phrasavath, and for more than 20 years the pair have worked together on The Betrayal. This illuminating exploration of the consequences of political agenda on individual lives benefits enormously from their collaboration: the intimacy of the many personal testimonies is deeply affecting, whilst the film's richly layered visuals bring aesthetic reward.
Sandra Hebron