Child Of Dust
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Sang is one of countless children left behind by American soldiers after the Vietnam War. Stigmatized and abandoned, he spends a lifetime longing for the father he never had. When he unexpectedly locates his gravely ill father in the United States, he is determined to meet him, even at a heavy cost—leaving his wife, daughter, and grandson behind in Vietnam. In an unfamiliar land, his dream of belonging clashes with an unexpected reality, as he finds himself an outsider both in American society and within a family that never knew he existed. But as Sang searches for his father, he discovers something even more profound—his own strength to break free from the past and redefine his future.
"Highly Recommended. Editor’s Choice. ... An outstanding resource for courses in Vietnam War history, Asian studies, anthropology, migration studies, sociology, and documentary filmmaking. ... It also offers rich material for discussions about cross-cultural communication, citizenship, and the differing concepts of family and community in Vietnam and the United States. ... As both a compelling human story and a thoughtful examination of the war's enduring legacy, it is an excellent choice for community screenings and book or film discussion groups." - Video Librarian
Citation
Main credits
Mliczewska, Weronika (film director)
Mliczewska, Weronika (film producer)
Mliczewska, Weronika (screenwriter)
Other credits
Cinematography, Mikael Lypinski; editing, Mateusz Romaszkan, Marcin Sucharski; music, Joaquin Garcia.
Distributor subjects
Asian-American Studies; Family Issues; Human Rights; Immigration and Refugees; Psychology and Mental Health; Multicultural Studies; Race and Racism; The 1960s and Vietnam Era; United States; VietnamKeywords
00:14:20.510 --> 00:14:22.762
I'm gonna show you Dad, okay?
00:14:23.730 --> 00:14:25.440
You ready, Dad?
00:14:34.783 --> 00:14:36.409
Do you hear me?
00:14:39.287 --> 00:14:41.331
Dad, can you see him?
00:14:53.551 --> 00:14:55.553
You don't look Vietnamese.
00:15:03.686 --> 00:15:06.856
I'm sorry that it got to
the situation like this.
00:15:07.482 --> 00:15:11.277
I was a soldier…
And, you know…
00:15:12.278 --> 00:15:15.949
I used to go into the city to…
To meet his mother.
00:15:16.420 --> 00:15:18.218
I liked his mother.
00:15:18.243 --> 00:15:21.329
She was good…
She was a good person.
00:15:32.674 --> 00:15:34.430
His mother.
00:15:38.972 --> 00:15:42.684
- Can you see her?
- Wait. Let me see.
00:15:43.560 --> 00:15:45.520
Oh my goodness…
00:15:46.729 --> 00:15:48.523
It's not…
00:15:50.442 --> 00:15:51.985
Yeah…
00:15:52.902 --> 00:15:54.946
Oh my God.
00:15:55.029 --> 00:15:58.867
I don't know.
I can't (remember)…
00:16:05.248 --> 00:16:06.791
Who's the baby crying?
00:16:07.792 --> 00:16:10.503
- It's his grandchild.
- Grandchild?
00:16:10.587 --> 00:16:12.338
Could we see her?
00:16:18.344 --> 00:16:20.930
Great, great grandfather.
00:16:21.681 --> 00:16:23.808
Oh my goodness…
00:16:24.726 --> 00:16:26.394
Can you see him?
00:16:29.647 --> 00:16:31.691
The baby is seven months old.
00:16:32.442 --> 00:16:35.028
Oh, seven months old?
00:16:35.904 --> 00:16:39.481
Beautiful child.
Tell him it's a beautiful child.
00:16:48.358 --> 00:16:50.109
He said that the…
00:16:50.835 --> 00:16:56.216
The family has handsome genes,
so the baby is looking good.
00:16:57.300 --> 00:16:58.676
Good genes!
00:16:59.802 --> 00:17:04.641
But hearing her talk,
brings me unpleasant memories.
00:17:06.601 --> 00:17:09.479
I know this is,
this is bad but…
00:17:10.730 --> 00:17:12.857
The language scares him.
00:18:02.782 --> 00:18:04.612
Hello?
00:19:34.772 --> 00:19:37.316
Dad, what took you so
long to tell me and Jason?
00:19:37.752 --> 00:19:42.715
I didn't know how you…
How everyone was gonna take it.
00:19:43.216 --> 00:19:46.719
Because this is not
good for the family now.
00:19:46.803 --> 00:19:49.472
All of a sudden you
got another brother.
00:19:49.555 --> 00:19:51.557
How could it not be good?
00:19:51.582 --> 00:19:53.503
What is your thinking?
How can it not be good?
00:19:53.527 --> 00:19:54.577
In the beginning…
00:19:54.602 --> 00:19:56.780
- You were afraid.
- These were his first thoughts…
00:19:56.805 --> 00:19:58.527
My thoughts were that
it's not gonna be good.
00:19:58.552 --> 00:19:59.703
I didn't think you guys…
00:19:59.728 --> 00:20:01.772
“Nah, this is not”, you know…
00:20:01.901 --> 00:20:04.946
Okay, well, we'll just move on
from that because I feel that
00:20:05.029 --> 00:20:07.532
it wasn't about me
and Jay rejecting.
00:20:07.615 --> 00:20:09.992
I really feel it
had to be with you
00:20:10.017 --> 00:20:13.896
actually swallowing the whole…
The whole thing now.
00:20:21.587 --> 00:20:23.840
The initial feeling was:
00:20:23.865 --> 00:20:25.802
“I don't want to
be part of this”,
00:20:25.826 --> 00:20:27.410
you know… Another sibling?
00:20:27.552 --> 00:20:31.931
It can't be, I can't…
This cannot be.
00:20:32.014 --> 00:20:33.725
But…
00:20:34.308 --> 00:20:36.853
It has to be.
00:20:38.229 --> 00:20:42.567
I came to the agreement that…
00:20:42.650 --> 00:20:44.652
There's no other way.
00:20:44.736 --> 00:20:47.739
We move forward and we
move forward as a family.
00:20:47.822 --> 00:20:53.244
We've always stuck together,
regardless of our differences…
00:20:53.327 --> 00:20:55.621
And this is no different.
00:20:55.997 --> 00:20:57.948
There is an Amerasian program
00:20:57.973 --> 00:21:01.315
to bring these babies
home from the war.
00:21:01.502 --> 00:21:02.879
So…
00:21:03.421 --> 00:21:06.174
We're gonna get…
We're gonna get him here.
00:25:13.713 --> 00:25:17.016
The first time my brother Sang
reached out to you and said:
00:25:17.040 --> 00:25:18.134
“Can you help me?”
00:25:18.217 --> 00:25:19.385
Yeah.
00:25:20.803 --> 00:25:23.806
Did you think you're gonna
actually find his real father?
00:25:23.831 --> 00:25:26.542
No, I said to him that
I will try my best.
00:25:26.567 --> 00:25:29.195
And you know what? In Vietnam,
00:25:30.396 --> 00:25:34.817
we have a special
culture for Vietnamese.
00:25:34.842 --> 00:25:37.873
The father means everything.
00:25:38.946 --> 00:25:43.743
If you have no father,
your life means nothing.
00:25:43.826 --> 00:25:49.498
That's why Sang always, always
wanted to find his father.
00:25:49.947 --> 00:25:52.825
How is Sang's family?
00:25:56.315 --> 00:26:00.903
Yeah, his wife and
his grandson are okay.
00:26:01.385 --> 00:26:02.887
But…
00:26:03.471 --> 00:26:05.139
His daughter…
00:26:05.730 --> 00:26:08.274
Nah… How do you say…?
00:26:08.350 --> 00:26:10.478
She's a drug user.
00:26:10.561 --> 00:26:13.898
- That's why Sang and…
- That's his daughter…?
00:26:13.981 --> 00:26:15.357
Yeah, his daughter.
00:26:16.317 --> 00:26:18.694
His daughter left the baby.
00:26:18.719 --> 00:26:22.806
So Sang and his wife take
care of the grandson.
00:26:23.758 --> 00:26:25.134
Okay?
00:26:29.263 --> 00:26:31.682
Sang just told me: “Hung,
00:26:31.707 --> 00:26:36.414
I hope all of you there
are safe and healthy.”
00:26:37.755 --> 00:26:40.411
Everybody is healthy here…
00:26:41.884 --> 00:26:44.303
Um…
But dad… Is not very healthy.
00:26:46.244 --> 00:26:47.490
Father not healthy.
00:26:47.515 --> 00:26:49.678
He had a heart attack.
00:26:58.190 --> 00:27:00.778
He can eat or drink something?
00:27:02.780 --> 00:27:06.784
Don't worry… Don't worry.
He's gonna be… alive.
00:27:13.648 --> 00:27:14.769
Tell him:
00:27:14.793 --> 00:27:17.503
“Don't worry, we're gonna
take good care of our father.”
00:27:27.847 --> 00:27:28.909
Sang says:
00:27:28.933 --> 00:27:32.143
“I would love to thank you
for you and your wife”,
00:27:32.168 --> 00:27:36.047
who can take good
care of his father.
00:27:36.188 --> 00:27:38.607
Because he can not
be there right now,
00:27:38.632 --> 00:27:42.502
but he will hopefully be
there as soon as possible.
00:27:43.736 --> 00:27:47.659
I can't…
There's nothing I can say.
00:31:30.047 --> 00:31:31.590
“Hello”.
00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:43.268
- Hello.
- Hello, who are you?
00:31:43.352 --> 00:31:44.674
I am Sang.
00:31:46.996 --> 00:31:50.082
- How are you?
- I am Sang.
00:32:00.168 --> 00:32:02.704
“You look very nice”.
00:32:02.788 --> 00:32:04.540
Ve-ry.
00:32:04.623 --> 00:32:06.125
Nice.
00:32:06.208 --> 00:32:07.418
Nice.
00:32:13.590 --> 00:32:15.300
- You look…
- You look…
00:32:15.384 --> 00:32:16.677
Very…
00:32:18.804 --> 00:32:20.097
Nice.
00:32:52.004 --> 00:32:54.006
- Dad.
- All right.
00:32:55.090 --> 00:32:56.925
- Yeah, time.
- Okay.
00:33:01.597 --> 00:33:03.081
Why do you think you're wobbly?
00:33:03.105 --> 00:33:04.975
What time did you go
to bed last night?
00:33:05.809 --> 00:33:08.979
- Are you tired?
- No, I went to…
00:33:09.062 --> 00:33:12.524
I don't know. It must have
been around 11 o'clock.
00:33:12.549 --> 00:33:14.885
That was good.
Right after your pills.
00:33:15.027 --> 00:33:17.946
Yeah, 11 o'clock.
00:33:48.685 --> 00:33:53.232
Sang has the application in,
and…
00:33:53.315 --> 00:33:57.152
Sang is at a very
fragile state of…
00:33:57.236 --> 00:34:00.280
Approval for the application,
because
00:34:00.364 --> 00:34:03.200
there were some mistakes that
were made in the beginning…
00:34:03.225 --> 00:34:05.602
And if we make
any more mistakes,
00:34:05.634 --> 00:34:09.305
we will actually lose
his window of opportunity,
00:34:09.498 --> 00:34:13.669
and then he will be banned
from being able to apply again.
00:34:14.795 --> 00:34:16.421
Oh, man…
00:34:19.174 --> 00:34:22.636
I hope that he's
gonna come here
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:25.252
and he's gonna have a good, long
life.
00:34:25.277 --> 00:34:27.227
That's what I'm thinking.
00:34:27.558 --> 00:34:31.895
That is a nutshell of
what all this is about.
00:34:31.979 --> 00:34:35.607
It's about a man that's been
searching for his father.
00:34:37.276 --> 00:34:41.154
We're just side people
in the whole thing.
00:34:41.238 --> 00:34:42.954
Like the carrots,
maybe he doesn't want.
00:34:42.978 --> 00:34:44.783
It's a man searching
for his father…
00:34:44.866 --> 00:34:46.368
And you're it.
00:34:48.036 --> 00:34:52.082
There's nothing that needs to be
done, but you just stay alive.
00:34:54.710 --> 00:35:00.507
I'm so happy and excited,
thrilled… To…
00:35:01.296 --> 00:35:02.674
To be his father.
00:35:02.698 --> 00:35:05.384
And I appreciate
him so much now.
00:35:05.804 --> 00:35:07.598
More than ever, because…
00:35:07.681 --> 00:35:11.217
The suffering that he went
through, you know…
00:35:11.241 --> 00:35:12.895
He experienced.
00:35:13.186 --> 00:35:17.649
A person shouldn't
experience that.
00:35:18.358 --> 00:35:20.068
Never.
00:35:29.578 --> 00:35:33.290
I'm just glad that he found me,
you know?
00:36:51.451 --> 00:36:53.620
That's Jason.
00:36:53.645 --> 00:36:56.064
You… And Bronco.
00:37:01.712 --> 00:37:04.193
What do you think you're
gonna wanna talk to Sang about
00:37:04.218 --> 00:37:05.357
when he comes?
00:37:05.382 --> 00:37:08.176
What are your thinking things?
00:37:10.220 --> 00:37:13.515
- I don't know, you know.
- You were saying before, how…
00:37:14.808 --> 00:37:17.978
You didn't have your
dad around raising you.
00:37:18.061 --> 00:37:20.939
Sang didn't have
his dad raising him.
00:37:21.022 --> 00:37:23.275
And now I'm just
learning also that…
00:37:23.358 --> 00:37:27.696
He's hoping that he could be
a good father to his daughter,
00:37:27.721 --> 00:37:30.140
but he never had no raising.
00:37:31.074 --> 00:37:35.509
I didn't have no proper raising
with a father,
00:37:35.533 --> 00:37:37.497
it was just my mom.
00:37:38.143 --> 00:37:43.517
She never really hugged
me or I hugged her.
00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:47.507
Like I called her
“Delia” all my life,
00:37:47.591 --> 00:37:49.342
never called her “Mom”.
00:37:50.260 --> 00:37:52.846
My father never lived with us.
00:37:52.929 --> 00:37:55.941
I remember only one
time in my whole life,
00:37:55.965 --> 00:37:58.018
in the middle of the night,
00:37:58.101 --> 00:38:01.229
I heard him knocking on
the door trying to get in.
00:38:01.254 --> 00:38:04.424
He wanted to come in but my
mother wouldn't let him in.
00:38:05.050 --> 00:38:09.721
And I'm telling her:
“Please, let him in.”
00:38:11.531 --> 00:38:15.685
And she would not let
him in for nothing.
00:38:17.412 --> 00:38:20.081
I felt kind of bad, you know.
00:38:21.166 --> 00:38:24.377
But she wouldn't let him in.
00:41:32.315 --> 00:41:33.817
Hello.
00:41:33.900 --> 00:41:35.735
How are you?
00:41:35.819 --> 00:41:37.153
I am…
00:41:37.654 --> 00:41:41.157
I am Sang. Thank you.
00:41:42.534 --> 00:41:44.494
I am Sang.
00:42:14.816 --> 00:42:17.819
Sang wants to know
if his father is OK.
00:42:17.902 --> 00:42:19.863
- He is good! Look at him!
- Good.
00:42:21.489 --> 00:42:24.367
I'm good.
I'm here. I'm really happy.
00:42:24.451 --> 00:42:26.077
We're together.
00:42:30.915 --> 00:42:35.336
I know that “Torres”
is not even a…
00:42:35.361 --> 00:42:39.282
Popular name considering
the Vietnamese.
00:42:39.424 --> 00:42:40.800
But…
00:42:40.884 --> 00:42:44.888
You've got a last name
now: “Sang Torres”.
00:42:44.971 --> 00:42:47.932
You have a new
name: Sang Torres!
00:42:54.647 --> 00:42:56.399
I am…
00:42:59.486 --> 00:43:01.654
I am American.
00:43:01.738 --> 00:43:03.364
American.
00:44:22.861 --> 00:44:28.908
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
FOR MIGRATION (IOM)
00:49:59.297 --> 00:50:01.883
At least we know this is
where they're coming, right?
00:50:01.908 --> 00:50:03.336
This is where they come,
00:50:03.360 --> 00:50:05.328
I already checked
with everybody.
00:50:09.165 --> 00:50:11.792
I have a family member
who doesn't speak English,
00:50:11.876 --> 00:50:13.295
can't read English, nothing.
00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:15.382
Is there anybody that's gonna
point him to this direction,
00:50:15.407 --> 00:50:16.146
because…
00:50:16.172 --> 00:50:17.590
That flight landed
00:50:17.615 --> 00:50:19.484
and I saw people coming
out from that flight…
00:50:19.509 --> 00:50:21.761
And I don't see my brother…
00:50:23.638 --> 00:50:24.900
So that woman right there
00:50:24.924 --> 00:50:26.849
just told me to go
there a little bit.
00:50:27.808 --> 00:50:30.019
- Does he have a phone on him?
- No!
00:50:30.044 --> 00:50:32.546
- Okay, I'm just asking.
- No.
00:50:40.029 --> 00:50:41.739
I got a question for you.
00:50:41.764 --> 00:50:42.726
What is that?
00:50:42.750 --> 00:50:45.434
Sorry, I didn't do a great sign.
00:50:45.576 --> 00:50:47.245
I'm sure he can read it….
00:50:48.329 --> 00:50:49.997
There he is, there he is!
00:50:51.332 --> 00:50:52.750
Nelson!
00:51:03.875 --> 00:51:05.001
I'm glad…
00:51:05.179 --> 00:51:07.848
Face to face. I'm glad.
00:51:18.442 --> 00:51:21.279
I'm glad we finally…
00:51:21.304 --> 00:51:24.181
We meet, together.
00:51:25.283 --> 00:51:26.975
Okay.
00:51:39.964 --> 00:51:42.008
You're looking good.
00:51:42.091 --> 00:51:43.926
You're looking good.
00:51:50.850 --> 00:51:53.561
That's your brother…
00:52:01.068 --> 00:52:03.154
He was probably lost.
00:52:03.237 --> 00:52:05.698
He got lost,
he said he got lost down there.
00:52:09.243 --> 00:52:10.536
ID…?
00:52:38.189 --> 00:52:39.690
Jay is coming.
00:52:39.774 --> 00:52:41.025
That's my truck.
00:52:45.196 --> 00:52:47.490
Look, look, look… Look at him!
00:52:52.635 --> 00:52:54.387
That's great.
00:53:27.780 --> 00:53:30.282
“I am hung… I am hungry.”
00:53:30.366 --> 00:53:31.659
- “Hungry”.
- Good.
00:53:31.742 --> 00:53:33.244
“I am hungry.”
00:53:34.453 --> 00:53:36.414
Everything you need.
00:53:36.914 --> 00:53:38.374
Hung.
00:53:39.625 --> 00:53:41.210
What's goin'…?
00:53:42.378 --> 00:53:44.338
Hung,
what is he trying to tell me?
00:53:54.104 --> 00:53:55.249
What's he saying?
00:53:55.391 --> 00:53:58.269
- Hot weather.
- It's hot.
00:53:58.769 --> 00:53:59.979
It's hot.
00:54:07.361 --> 00:54:08.696
Food…
00:54:45.274 --> 00:54:48.652
- Nelson…
- No, I'm good.
00:54:48.736 --> 00:54:51.655
- Dad?
- I'm good. I'm good.
00:54:51.739 --> 00:54:53.407
Just eat one. Eat one.
00:54:53.491 --> 00:54:55.201
Eat one. Make him feel good.
00:54:55.284 --> 00:54:56.869
Eat one.
00:54:56.952 --> 00:54:58.996
Alright. Just one.
00:55:07.129 --> 00:55:09.548
Chicken, beef.
00:55:24.922 --> 00:55:26.779
No, we ate.
00:55:30.653 --> 00:55:33.447
- If this is the first burger…
- He's not gonna be happy.
00:55:38.939 --> 00:55:41.442
So, it's getting late,
so we're gonna go.
00:55:44.783 --> 00:55:49.383
Sang, we're leaving. Go home.
00:56:00.933 --> 00:56:04.186
You're finally home, my son.
00:56:11.861 --> 00:56:14.947
Great. Finally home.
00:56:15.030 --> 00:56:16.626
You're here.
00:57:59.677 --> 00:58:01.428
This is pretty good.
00:58:01.512 --> 00:58:03.555
- Good, right?
- Yeah.
00:58:04.056 --> 00:58:05.307
Thank you.
00:58:07.893 --> 00:58:09.687
How long have you been here?
00:58:09.770 --> 00:58:11.647
- Almost a year.
- Where are you from?
00:58:18.202 --> 00:58:19.328
You wanna sit down?
00:58:19.405 --> 00:58:22.074
This guy speaks really
good English, right?
00:58:37.756 --> 00:58:39.258
He's saying that
he's really glad
00:58:39.283 --> 00:58:43.245
he's finally having a meal
with his family in America.
00:58:43.270 --> 00:58:45.898
It really warms his heart.
00:59:01.362 --> 00:59:03.881
The father figure is the most
important
00:59:03.906 --> 00:59:05.492
for a child in Vietnam.
00:59:05.576 --> 00:59:09.038
Even the mountains, the sky
couldn't compare to the figure…
00:59:09.121 --> 00:59:10.581
- The father figure.
- Right.
00:59:11.165 --> 00:59:15.878
He wanted to know his father.
Meet his father. That's why…
00:59:15.961 --> 00:59:19.840
That was the most important
thing in his life.
00:59:19.923 --> 00:59:21.050
Who's my father?
00:59:21.133 --> 00:59:24.344
During the war, the American
soldiers were there.
00:59:24.428 --> 00:59:28.182
There was a lot of babies
born during the war…
00:59:28.265 --> 00:59:30.934
Vietnam War,
probably Korean War.
00:59:31.018 --> 00:59:33.812
It always happens.
He's only one.
00:59:34.480 --> 00:59:36.607
One. And we found him.
00:59:36.749 --> 00:59:41.170
There's thousands.
They can't find their parents.
00:59:41.195 --> 00:59:45.574
They can't find somebody so they
can come to the United States.
00:59:46.575 --> 00:59:48.274
We're gonna help him…
00:59:48.298 --> 00:59:51.789
Get him a job,
help him get places to live…
00:59:51.872 --> 00:59:56.043
And then work on getting
his wife and daughter here.
01:02:03.712 --> 01:02:05.923
Table.
01:02:08.050 --> 01:02:09.676
Table.
01:02:15.432 --> 01:02:17.226
- Table.
- Yes.
01:02:19.186 --> 01:02:22.231
Yes. Table… Chair.
01:03:30.549 --> 01:03:32.217
How are you? I'm Mel.
01:03:32.301 --> 01:03:37.014
It's so nice to have you
helping with my family
01:03:38.181 --> 01:03:39.641
and my brother Sang.
01:03:39.725 --> 01:03:42.269
- You're a lawyer?
- No, I'm not a lawyer.
01:03:42.352 --> 01:03:45.814
I'm just helping out
with the translation
01:03:45.839 --> 01:03:48.508
and whatever that
he needs help with.
01:03:56.867 --> 01:03:58.929
He said that when
he got off the plane
01:03:58.954 --> 01:04:01.671
he was looking for
you everywhere.
01:04:02.622 --> 01:04:03.999
But he didn't see you.
01:04:04.082 --> 01:04:07.169
But he was afraid to ask
what happened to you.
01:04:07.252 --> 01:04:10.005
They did not tell me,
because I feel
01:04:10.088 --> 01:04:11.506
they don't want me involved
01:04:11.558 --> 01:04:13.518
and they weren't gonna let
me stay in their house.
01:04:14.301 --> 01:04:17.679
You know, Sang shared
with me that he is sad,
01:04:17.763 --> 01:04:22.351
because they haven't invited
him over to their house.
01:04:22.434 --> 01:04:25.103
Well, they're not very fluffy,
loving people.
01:04:25.187 --> 01:04:28.023
Neither brother is.
Neither was my dad.
01:04:28.106 --> 01:04:33.737
My dad as a child he was not
loving and cuddly or hugging us.
01:04:33.762 --> 01:04:37.265
I've never even ate
in my brother's house.
01:04:38.492 --> 01:04:42.204
Tell Sang, December 12th
I'm supposed to be there.
01:04:42.229 --> 01:04:43.772
Okay.
01:04:43.797 --> 01:04:45.131
Bye.
01:05:21.794 --> 01:05:23.027
Hello.
01:07:51.893 --> 01:07:55.486
My understanding
is that in Vietnam,
01:07:55.510 --> 01:07:58.692
you guys all live in
the same apartment.
01:07:58.785 --> 01:08:00.735
You live together very close.
01:08:00.819 --> 01:08:04.239
Here in America,
we live apart from each other.
01:08:05.031 --> 01:08:08.076
But it doesn't mean that
I'm not thinking about you,
01:08:08.159 --> 01:08:11.371
I'm always thinking about
you and your well-being.
01:08:24.259 --> 01:08:27.154
My parents separated
when I was a kid,
01:08:27.178 --> 01:08:29.681
so maybe that's the reason why…
01:08:29.764 --> 01:08:32.851
I was 9 years old when
my parents broke up.
01:08:33.393 --> 01:08:37.939
And then I just lived with my
mom. I saw him once in a while.
01:08:38.023 --> 01:08:44.195
We know he loves us, but we
don't get a lot of affection.
01:08:44.279 --> 01:08:48.491
Like the emotional…
That some people go through…
01:08:48.575 --> 01:08:51.536
“I love you, I hug you all
day long”, and all this stuff.
01:08:52.287 --> 01:08:54.831
Our family was never like that.
01:08:54.914 --> 01:08:58.627
I guess, I had another life.
01:08:59.377 --> 01:09:03.506
I was practically living
with another woman.
01:09:07.594 --> 01:09:12.307
It's the only time I regret it…
01:09:12.932 --> 01:09:16.353
Not being of any
help to your mother.
01:09:22.192 --> 01:09:25.445
I was always heartbroken.
01:09:28.365 --> 01:09:32.577
I found God,
or maybe God found me.
01:09:32.661 --> 01:09:36.539
So, my attitude changed…
01:09:37.040 --> 01:09:40.085
towards life. Completely.
01:09:42.253 --> 01:09:47.842
I started… Being more
concerned for my family.
01:15:34.022 --> 01:15:36.607
Can't believe you're here.
01:15:41.195 --> 01:15:43.698
- Hi Melissa.
- Hey.
01:15:46.868 --> 01:15:50.788
He wants to know if…
Have you told Dad?
01:15:50.872 --> 01:15:53.207
No.
01:15:53.291 --> 01:15:56.127
Tell him tomorrow I plan on…
01:15:56.919 --> 01:15:59.964
Like doing a special mission
to go capture my Dad.
01:16:00.048 --> 01:16:03.092
I'm gonna go get my Dad out
of my little brother's house.
01:16:03.176 --> 01:16:05.595
And bring Daddy here.
01:16:14.520 --> 01:16:17.398
What a tattoo,
he's got a tattoo on his arm,
01:16:17.482 --> 01:16:19.484
he got a tattoo on his chest.
01:16:19.567 --> 01:16:21.027
What else he's got?
01:16:21.569 --> 01:16:22.987
No more?
01:16:23.448 --> 01:16:25.575
Wow. I got this one…
01:16:26.282 --> 01:16:27.867
And this one.
01:16:28.451 --> 01:16:30.244
And then this one.
01:16:30.995 --> 01:16:33.039
And then a little raccoon.
01:16:37.960 --> 01:16:41.547
What's the one on his arm?
Is it in Vietnamese?
01:17:01.359 --> 01:17:05.196
It's the sadness of his life.
01:17:07.534 --> 01:17:12.164
“No father,
no mother, no home.”
01:17:19.876 --> 01:17:22.504
You look different
than the video.
01:17:22.588 --> 01:17:25.633
You're thinner,
and you're darker.
01:17:29.971 --> 01:17:35.560
Her skin is so dark,
so we're truly siblings.
01:18:31.741 --> 01:18:33.562
You didn't even take
your morning pills.
01:18:33.586 --> 01:18:35.077
I did. I take them already.
01:18:35.161 --> 01:18:37.210
This is for tomorrow
or the next day.
01:18:37.234 --> 01:18:38.539
They're both here.
01:18:38.623 --> 01:18:40.791
Hello.
01:18:43.836 --> 01:18:46.255
- How are you?
- Okay. How're you doing?
01:18:48.132 --> 01:18:49.717
Yeah.
01:18:58.100 --> 01:19:00.061
Nice seeing you.
01:19:03.940 --> 01:19:06.692
Working hard?
01:19:08.361 --> 01:19:10.363
Working hard?
01:19:10.446 --> 01:19:14.158
- I will tell him.
- Yeah, translate that.
01:19:32.343 --> 01:19:34.341
I work very hard, Dad.
01:19:37.055 --> 01:19:40.576
One, two, three,
01:19:40.601 --> 01:19:45.064
four, five, seven.
01:19:45.147 --> 01:19:48.567
- Eight.
- Okay, now I teach you.
01:19:49.527 --> 01:19:51.862
Watch.
This is a five-dollar bill.
01:19:51.887 --> 01:19:54.473
We count by five so: five, ten…
01:19:54.615 --> 01:19:59.537
Fifteen, twenty.
Thirty… Thirty-five, forty,
01:19:59.620 --> 01:20:02.248
forty-five, fifty, fifty-five.
01:20:02.331 --> 01:20:05.793
Sixty, sixty-five…
Seventy dollars.
01:20:05.876 --> 01:20:07.962
Dad is very proud of you.
01:20:24.437 --> 01:20:25.896
That's awesome.
01:20:48.002 --> 01:20:50.463
How do you feel about
going to therapy again?
01:20:52.256 --> 01:20:56.052
First of all… What am I
gaining with the therapy?
01:20:56.635 --> 01:20:58.721
I don't say much there.
01:20:58.804 --> 01:21:01.724
That's because you
don't speak your truth.
01:21:29.418 --> 01:21:32.505
That doctor saw us pretty quick.
Even the lady right now
01:21:32.588 --> 01:21:36.425
making the new appointment
says: “Wow, that was quick.”
01:21:36.509 --> 01:21:40.346
Right, but it was normal.
It was, you know…
01:21:40.429 --> 01:21:43.024
I don't know about
so much normal, Dad.
01:21:43.048 --> 01:21:45.643
I think you've been
holding in a lot.
01:21:45.726 --> 01:21:48.104
Like that guy,
the thing we just saw.
01:21:48.187 --> 01:21:52.483
He had 230 kills
in World War II.
01:21:52.566 --> 01:21:55.194
How many kills did you have?
Do we know? We don't know.
01:21:55.277 --> 01:21:56.987
- I don't know.
- Okay.
01:21:57.071 --> 01:22:00.074
I would think that when
you're killing somebody…
01:22:00.157 --> 01:22:01.617
That's gotta affect you.
01:22:01.642 --> 01:22:04.104
You were shooting bullets, were
you not? Or were you shooting…
01:22:04.129 --> 01:22:05.861
I was shooting bullets, I mean…
01:22:05.885 --> 01:22:07.674
Were you throwing bubblegum?
01:22:09.541 --> 01:22:11.022
Right, you didn't get to see it.
01:22:11.047 --> 01:22:12.294
I didn't get to see it…
01:22:12.378 --> 01:22:14.380
I mean, maybe other guys, but…
01:22:14.463 --> 01:22:17.258
Mommy told me that when
you first came home
01:22:17.341 --> 01:22:19.635
you would wake up choking her,
screaming,
01:22:19.718 --> 01:22:22.471
then sweats, then screaming.
01:22:22.555 --> 01:22:25.766
That's what mommy said, that
that was affecting your brain.
01:22:25.850 --> 01:22:28.769
Why can't you just say it did?
01:22:28.853 --> 01:22:31.021
You wanna make believe
that you're Superman.
01:22:31.105 --> 01:22:34.066
No, I was strong minded.
01:22:35.609 --> 01:22:39.155
You sure you're just strong
and not hiding it all?
01:22:46.162 --> 01:22:50.791
You see, I successfully
completed the training.
01:22:50.875 --> 01:22:55.296
I was assigned to
heavy weapons platoon.
01:22:55.379 --> 01:22:59.216
- I was… you know.
- Just go like that.
01:22:59.884 --> 01:23:02.011
GUN. No, not thumbs up.
01:23:02.359 --> 01:23:04.695
- That's a…
- Shooting.
01:23:05.356 --> 01:23:06.454
Where's the…?
01:23:06.478 --> 01:23:08.225
I was in a heavy
weapons platoon.
01:23:08.309 --> 01:23:10.352
- Shooting, Dad.
- Yeah.
01:23:11.335 --> 01:23:15.005
I volunteered. See? Me.
01:23:20.196 --> 01:23:21.947
Vietnam.
01:23:23.699 --> 01:23:29.163
M16. That was my weapon,
always with me.
01:23:29.246 --> 01:23:33.000
I had to sleep with that weapon.
Yeah.
01:23:36.003 --> 01:23:37.880
M16.
01:23:37.963 --> 01:23:40.132
I explained it to him.
01:23:42.801 --> 01:23:46.514
I wonder what he's feeling
when you're the military
01:23:46.597 --> 01:23:48.951
and you're there to defend,
01:23:48.976 --> 01:23:51.927
but you're killing
the other Vietnamese.
01:23:52.645 --> 01:23:55.129
And then you're here
and he's here with you
01:23:55.154 --> 01:23:57.366
because he's also Vietnamese.
01:23:58.067 --> 01:24:00.293
It's gotta be hard.
01:24:09.912 --> 01:24:14.500
When I left Vietnam,
you were born.
01:24:15.209 --> 01:24:19.046
I can't even imagine
how you actually…
01:24:19.880 --> 01:24:22.174
You survived all of this.
01:24:22.258 --> 01:24:26.679
I was battling a different war,
than you were battling.
01:24:28.722 --> 01:24:33.102
I just wanna know how you felt.
01:25:01.505 --> 01:25:05.509
He said he doesn't want
to think about the war.
01:25:05.593 --> 01:25:09.615
It cost a lot of pain and
suffering
01:25:09.639 --> 01:25:12.474
for him and his mother.
01:25:25.613 --> 01:25:28.407
I don't want him to
feel sad anymore.
01:25:28.432 --> 01:25:31.477
You can't stop him,
so don't say it.
01:25:31.619 --> 01:25:33.078
It doesn't matter.
01:25:33.162 --> 01:25:35.497
You don't tell him he
doesn't need to be sad.
01:25:35.522 --> 01:25:39.401
You tell him: “It's okay.”
It's okay that he has emotions.
01:25:40.002 --> 01:25:41.846
But I don't want him
to feel that way.
01:25:41.870 --> 01:25:43.594
Dad,
it doesn't matter what you want.
01:25:43.619 --> 01:25:44.725
I don't care.
01:25:44.750 --> 01:25:46.938
Well, he doesn't care
about what you're saying.
01:25:46.963 --> 01:25:47.991
I don't want him to…
01:25:48.016 --> 01:25:49.803
He doesn't care what
you're saying, Dad.
01:25:49.828 --> 01:25:54.375
- You're hurting his feelings.
- I want him to feel…
01:25:54.516 --> 01:25:55.976
Happy. Not…
01:25:56.060 --> 01:25:58.228
- Dad, you're ridiculous.
- Not sad.
01:25:58.312 --> 01:26:00.022
You're ridiculous.
01:26:19.667 --> 01:26:23.295
This is just to show you
my appreciation for you.
01:26:23.379 --> 01:26:26.715
I love you and everything.
01:26:26.740 --> 01:26:30.069
And I loved your mother.
01:26:31.136 --> 01:26:35.808
And I'm just so… I feel so sad…
01:26:35.891 --> 01:26:38.936
She can't be here.
01:26:39.019 --> 01:26:40.896
But…
01:26:41.383 --> 01:26:44.761
I wanna do whatever I can
01:26:45.359 --> 01:26:48.821
to be here for you.
01:26:49.238 --> 01:26:50.406
So…
01:26:52.574 --> 01:26:56.954
You don't have to worry.
Here's a little dedication…
01:26:57.788 --> 01:27:00.791
A little dedication
from the military.
01:27:08.799 --> 01:27:13.178
- Thank you.
- God bless you.
01:29:05.300 --> 01:29:07.636
What do you want for Christmas?