Fresno Filmworks

Fourth Annual Fresno Film Festival
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
April 18-20, 2008

  • The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
  • with special appearances
  • with short film PAPIROFLEXIA
  • Saturday, April 19, 2008
  • 4:30 p.m.
  • The Tower Theatre
  • 815 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno [map]
  • $10.00 General Admission
  • $8.00 for Students and Seniors
  • buy tickets →

…both exquisitely beautiful and emotionally compelling…

Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times

More than two decades in the making, this heartfelt debut docu feature by veteran cinematographer Ellen Kuras brings an affecting personal dimension to a sprawling sociopolitical narrative, intimately detailing how the agendas designed to advance the interests of nations can destroy individual lives.

Scott Foundas
Variety

…a moving, lyrical, 23-years-in-the-making epic of a Laotian family uprooted to the U.S in the aftermath of the Vietnam War–an impressive and original fusion of the political and the personal.

David Ansen
Newsweek


Watch the Trailer

(cable or DSL connection recommended)

Synopsis

A Lao prophecy says, "A time will come when the universe will break…piece by piece…the world will change beyond what we know." That time came for the small country of Laos with the clandestine involvement of the United States during the Vietnam War. By 1973, three million tons of bombs had been dropped on Laos in the fight to overcome the North Vietnamese, more than the total used during both world wars.

With the rise of a Communist government in Laos, killings and arrests became common among those affiliated with the former government and the Americans. Families were torn apart–some finally emigrating to the U.S. In a truly remarkable collaboration spanning more than 20 years, famed director of photography Ellen Kuras debuts her first directorial effort with Laotian codirector Thavisouk Phrasavath, the main subject of the film.

Phrasavath takes us through his youth, his escape from persecution and arrest in Laos, his family's reunion and their journey as immigrants to America, and the second war they had to fight on the streets of New York City. Epic in scope and drawing upon the techniques of experimental film and the traditions of Laotian culture, NERAKHOON (The Betrayal) is an exquisitely crafted tale about a country, a family, and a young man who discovers the power and resilience of the human spirit.

http://nerakhoon.com

Directed by Ellen Kuras andThavisouk Phrasavath
In English and Lao, with English subtitles
USA, 2008
87 minutes, NR


Companion Short Film

  • PAPIROFLEXIA
  • USA, Joaquin Baldwin
  • 3 minutes, English
  • Papiroflexia (Spanish for “Origami”) is the animated tale of Fred, a skillful paper folder who could shape the world with his hands.
  • http://www.pixelnitrate.com

Purchase Tickets Online

A PayPal account is not required for purchase; Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are all gladly accepted.

Enter the number of Festival Passes or individual tickets you wish to purchase and click the "PayPal buy now" button. This will launch a new window containing your PayPal shopping cart. Please print out and bring your PayPal email receipt so we can verify your purchase at pick-up time. Passes and/or tickets can be picked up at the ticket booth in front of the Tower Theatre before the film starts.

Purchase a Festival Pass:
Festival Pass – $45

Purchase tickets for this screening only:
General Admission – $10
Students & Seniors – $8

Advance tickets may also be purchased at the following locations: