P.O .V. on s a e 22 · i ended up with a Michael Jackson hairdo and the person - ality of Bobby Brown, wearing Mc Hammer pants, Duran ... i came to realize that America is not the

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DiScuSSion GuiDe

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)A film by Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath

P.O.V. Seaso

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June 1, 2009

Dear Viewer,

Since i began making this film in 1984, the Betrayal (Nerakhoon) has been an ongoing

personal dialogue for me about the themes of life and death, of change in society and of

philosophy. The making of this film has also paralleled my own personal journey as a cin-

ematographer, poet and filmmaker. i've been intrigued by the loss of innocence in war

and the loss of moral and ethical values in our society as adopted by newly landed immi-

grants, and how this loss mirrors our own losses in America. The questions of identity, of

what happens to people without land, or a connection to land and home and of the fight

for land is one that has captured my thoughts since university, when i studied the plight

and the loss of self of native Americans, and at the same time, wondered about my own

place as the granddaughter of Polish immigrants.

in this way, this film is as much as my own story as it is the story of many others.

Making this film actually inspired me to become one of the most respected cinematogra-

phers in the world. When i began to film back in 1984, i decided that i would try to shoot

the film myself. i was looking for a way to tell the story with images, to allow the images

to speak with as much weight as words through visual metaphors. This started, in a way,

what still informs my work today — a desire to make images that carry meaning rather

than just being visual illustrations or representations.

At that time, i wanted to depart from the conventions of the documentary form. i didn't

want to make a traditional documentary. i wanted to make a film that merged ideas from

both documentary and dramatic film as well as experimental film. From the beginning, i

envisioned the Betrayal as a combination of cinéma vérité, re-photographed archival

footage and other elements that could enable me to get closer to the idea of a very per-

sonal point of view of memory. i tried to imagine that the film's point of view of the would be as if i were shooting from the

perspective of a character, and then that character walks into his or her own point of view. The film could then be told in a

very personal voice and at the same time, observe that person in the world around him.

This point of view happened to become the voice of one Lao man whose story captured my interest and whose poetic

sensibilities and ability to recount stories from his childhood kept me rapt with attention. i have been listening, and still am

listening, after all of these years.

Following this family and being a part of their lives over such a span of time was only possible because of my collaboration

and close friendship with Thavisouk "Thavi" (pronounced ta-vee) Phrasavath.

our connection was immediate; our bond, lifelong.

the Betrayal is the culmination of stories, and of the time spent together between two people from very different cultures.

The beauty of having filmed The Betrayal over so many years is that the themes of life and death are intimately played out

in this family drama in a way that only time can reveal.

the Betrayal has become a part of my life, and it has profoundly moved others in a way that no other film has. i believe that

the American betrayal of our Laotian allies reverberated, unfolding more betrayals, ultimately shaking the core of one family.

For Thavi, his family and many others, the war has never really ended.

Ellen Kuras,

Director, the Betrayal

© American Documentary, inc. 2

Letter frOm the fiLmmakerS

Discussion GuiDE

The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)

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ellen Kuras, Director.

Photo courtesy of ellen Kuras


Letter frOm the fiLmmakerS

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June 1, 2009

Dear Viewer,

on May 25, 1982, i came to the united States from Laos as

a political refugee. My objective was to survive and stay

alive in Brooklyn, n.Y. – working to pay rent, buy food and

ensure the safety of all of my family members. Becoming

an artist never even entered my dreams. A first genera-

tion immigrant and political refugee from the un-popular

Vietnam War, i was often questioned by Americans: Who

are you? What are you doing here? Though i constantly

tried to tell my story, it didn’t matter – why should anyone

care? Few even knew that Laos was a country, let alone

where it exists on the world map. not even JFK knew how

to pronounce the name of my country.

During my early time in America, i did everything i could

to camouflage myself, to blend in – by changing my body

language, learning local english expressions, adapting

popular clothing styles. Sometimes, when i tried too hard,

i ended up with a Michael Jackson hairdo and the person-

ality of Bobby Brown, wearing Mc Hammer pants, Duran

Duran stocking gloves and Gene Simmons boots, as i

cruised up and down Flatbush Avenue. even i began to ask myself who i had become and what i would be.

it doesn’t matter what i did or how much i tried, the harder i threw myself into the arms of American society, the harder i

bounced back against my own self. And there i found myself asking bigger questions regarding my ancestors’ roots, my own

identity and political history. What had happened to us? Who had started all of these things? i was not trying to fabricate

evidence for judging anybody, but to have a better understanding and a better value of my own integrity. i tried and i tried.

i came to realize that America is not the big melting pot that i believed it to be, but rather a gigantic wok of races, ethnici-

ties and individuals – a stir-fry. Being of an imaginary people in a strange land, a man without country or dignity, it didn’t take

long for America to frustrate me. But out of this frustration, desperation and confusion, i began to search for my lost mem-

ories of a horrific childhood experience of war.

Then one fateful day, i received a phone call from a total stranger. Who was this person who was interested in learning how

to speak my mother tongue and hearing about my history? That stranger was cinematographer, director and writer ellen

Kuras. Since then, my journey has taken a 180-degree turn. We became close friends, then collaborators — and our great jour-

ney together began. When ellen asked me to be the subject of this film, and a collaborator as well, i was deeply honored. But

i never imagined that this journey would take 23 years to complete. Yet it's been 23 years of spiritual and mental therapy, of

searching my soul.

Through the process of making the Betrayal, i’ve been given the opportunity to become a filmmaker and find my true self.

i have learned a great deal about how to speak my mind, to never fear of speaking out and how to be myself.

Thavisouk Phrasavath,

co-Director, the Betrayal

Thavisouk Phrasavath, co-director.

Photo courtesy of Thavisouk Phrasavath

5 Introduction

6 Potential Partners

6 Key Issues

6 Using This Guide

7 Background Information

7 Laos

8 Laos and the Vietnam War

10 Laotian Refugees

11 Southeast Asian Refugees

in the United States

12 Southeast Asian Gangs

13 General Discussion Questions

14 Discussion Prompts

20 Taking Action

21 Resources

26 How to Buy the Film

writer

Faith Rogow, PhD

Insighters Educational Consulting

research editor

Daniel McDermon

P.O.V.

Eliza Licht

Director,

Community Engagement and Education, P.O.V.

Jessica Lee

Outreach and Development Coordinator, P.O.V.

Design: Rafael Jiménez

copy Editor: natalie Danford

thanks to those who reviewed this guide:

Lindsay Dedo

Director, Educational Programming, Cinema Guild

channapha Khamvongsa

Executive Director, Legacies of War

Ellen Kuras

Filmmaker, The Betrayal

Louisa schein

Anthropologist, Rutgers University,

Co-Founder, Collective for Critical Hmong Studies

Kou Yang

Professor of Asian American Studies, Ethnic and Gender

Studies Department, California State University, Stanislaus


taBLe Of CONteNtS

Discussion GuiDE


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Filmed over 23 years, the Betrayal represents a unique col-

laboration between director/cinematographer ellen Kuras

and the film’s subject and co-director, Thavisouk “Thavi”

Phrasavath. After the u.S. government waged a secret war

in Laos during the Vietnam War, Phrasavath’s father and

thousands of Laotians who had collaborated with American

forces were abandoned and left to face imprisonment or ex-

ecution. Hoping to find safety, Phrasavath’s family members

made a harrowing escape to America, where, thrust into a

confusing life of urban poverty, they discovered a different

kind of war.

This feature-length (82-minute) documentary weaves an-

cient prophecies with personal testimony to tell a story of

survival in the aftermath of war. The film tells the story of a

family that is both resilient and irreparably torn; of a mother

who watches her family change as she guards it against

decades of unrelenting danger; of a hero father who aban-

dons his family; of a teenage son who assumes the burdens

of head of household without any of the maturity or cultural

authority that would allow him to succeed, yet refuses to

give up; and of immigrant children whose efforts to fit into

their new culture put them at odds with their parents’ core

values.

As an outreach tool, the Betrayal offers a chance to explore

the lasting human consequences that result when govern-

ments choose to wage war. As we see the members of the

Phrasavath family struggle to cope with what they left be-

hind and what confronts them in a foreign land, viewers are

invited to question how the united States treats its former

allies, its poor, its immigrants and its minorities. ultimately,

the film gives viewers a chance to consider what might be

learned from Thavi and his family about how people con-

tinue fighting for a better future even in the face of over-

whelming adversity.


iNtrOduCtiON

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Thavisouk Phrasavath in Long island, nY, 1991.

Photo courtesy of Pandinlao Films

the Betrayal is well suited for use in a variety of settings

and is especially recommended for use with:

• your local PBS station

• groups that have discussed previous PBS and

P.O.V. films relating to elections or the democratic

process, including the P.O.V. films Bronx

Princess, Lost Boys of Sudan, My American Girls

and Rain in a Dry Land and the PBS series The

New Americans

• Groups focused on any of the issues listed in the

“Key Issues” section

• High school students

• Faith-based organizations and institutions

• Cultural, art or historical organizations,

institutions or museums

• Civic, fraternal and community groups

• Academic departments or student groups at

colleges, universities and high schools

• Community organizations with a mission to

promote education and learning, such as local

libraries

• Interest groups promoting peace and conflict

resolution

the Betrayal is an excellent tool for outreach and will be

of special interest to people interested in the following

topics:

• assimilation/integration

• american ethnic groups

• Cinematography

• documentary filmmaking

• ethics

• family

• gangs

• gender

• identity

• migration

• Laos/Laotian/hmong culture

• Parent/child relationships

• Peace studies

• Poverty

• refugees/immigrants

• resettlement

• resilience

• urban poverty

• Vietnam war

• Southeast asia/indochina


POteNtiaL PartNerS

Discussion GuiDE


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uSiNg thiS guide

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. it is based on a

belief in the power of human connection and designed

for people who want to use The Betrayal to engage

family, friends, classmates, colleagues and communities.

in contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which

participants try to convince others that they are right,

this document envisions conversations undertaken in a

spirit of openness, in which people try to understand

one another and expand their thinking by sharing view-

points and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help

a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the

issues in the film. Rather than attempting to address

them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs

and interests. And be sure to leave time to consider tak-

ing action. Planning the next steps can help people

leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even

in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips,

visit: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2009/betrayal

Laos

Laos is a landlocked, mountainous country that lies between

Thailand and Vietnam. it was founded in 1353 as the King-

dom of Lan Xang, “Land of a Million elephants.” After ongo-

ing struggles and incursions by its neighbors, Laos was ruled

by Siam (modern-day Thailand) from the late 18th century

until 1893, when it became a protectorate of French in-

dochina. in 1954, Laos became a fully independent constitu-

tional monarchy and remained so until the takeover by the

Pathet Lao government in 1975. it is currently one of the few

remaining one-party socialist states. About the size of Great

Britain, Laos has a population of only 6.8 million people,

making it one of the least densely populated nations in

Southeast Asia. Most of the populace resides in the Mekong

River valley.

The nation has 47 ethnic minority groups, including the

Hmong and Mien, who reside mostly in the mountainous re-

gions. The term “Laotian” usually refers to all ethnic groups

except the Hmong. Subsistence agriculture is the primary

means of support, employing about 80 percent of the work-

force. The country relies heavily on foreign aid and loans

from international organizations, individual donor countries

and non-governmental organizations.

Sources:

BBc news country Profile: Laos. April 29, 2009.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-

pacific/country_profiles/1154621.stm#facts; ciA World Factbook:

Laos, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-

factbook/geos/LA.html; de Domenico, John e. G. Land of A Million

Elephants: Memoirs of a Canadian Peacekeeper. Renfrew, ontario:

General Store Publishing House, 1998.


BaCkgrOuNd iNfOrmatiON

children playing on water buffalo in Laos.


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Laos and the Vietnam war

once it had gained its independence from France, Laos be-

came a center of the cold War struggle against communism.

in 1954 and again in 1962, international treaties declared Laos

a neutral state and forbade foreign military intervention. Re-

gardless, the country soon became a secondary front for the

Americans in the Vietnam War. Since the united States

could not send ground troops, the ciA took the war to the

air and conducted a secret air war in Laos.

The u.S. presence in Laos illegally provided support on three

fronts in the fight against the Pathet Lao and Vietnamese

communist troops: The Royal Lao Army received arms and

training; the ciA trained and funded a large paramilitary in-

surgent force, primarily Hmong, that operated covertly in

Pathet Lao held territories; and, from 1964 to 1973, the

united States conducted one of the largest bombing cam-

paigns in history. The bombing campaign primarily targeted

Pathet Lao held areas and the Ho chi Minh trail that ran

through eastern Laos, where the Vietnamese army trans-

ported goods and arms to South Vietnam. However, many

civilian villagers were injured and killed. Laos became the

most heavily bombed country per capita in the history of

modern warfare, with more than 2 million tons of bombs

dropped on it.

The war divided the people of Laos, as some allied with the

Americans and the Royal Lao Government, while others

fought for the Pathet Lao forces, who were themselves allied

with the north Vietnamese. The war ended in 1973 and the

two sides formed a coalition government, but in 1975 the

communist party took control. Many who had fought on be-

half of the Royal Lao Government and the united States

were persecuted and sent to reeducation camps. At least 10



Military iD of Santi Phrasavath, Thavi's father.


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percent of the population

fled the country to avoid

reprisals. it is believed that

thousands died in the

course of postwar persecu-

tion.

Presently, up to 78 million

unexploded bombs, prima-

rily cluster bombs, and

other ordnance remain

buried in the land, posing a

deadly threat to civilians, in

particular rural villagers and

farmers. The Lao govern-

ment has estimated that at

least 13,000 civilians have

been killed or injured by un-

exploded ordnances, al-

most half of them children.

Many incidents go unre-

ported due to the lack of

health care access in more

rural areas. Meanwhile, po-

litical relationships between

the Lao government and its

neighbors and between the Lao government and the united

States have improved greatly over the past 15 years, though

the united States presently has not officially recognized the

secret air war conducted in Laos. Laos currently enjoys nor-

mal trade relations with the united States and is also a mem-

ber of ASeAn (Association of Southeast Asian nations).

Sources:

BBc news country Profile: Laos.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-

pacific/country_profiles/1154621.stm; Byrne, Rory. “unexploded Bombs

Still Taking Toll on Laos.” Voice of America. Feb. 2, 2009.

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2009-02/2009-02-02-

voa34.cfm?cFiD=212464069&cFToKen=47486897&jsessionid=88306

802b4e3f085e3c632267114b3558443;

evans, Grant. A Short History of Laos: The Land in Between. crows

nest, Australia: Allen & unwin, 2003; Khamvongsa, channapha and

Russell, elaine. “Legacies of War: cluster Bombs in Laos.” Critical Asian

Studies, June 2009, 41:2, 281-306; u.S. State Department Background

note: Laos. April 2009. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2770.htm.




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Laotian refugees

upwards of 10 percent of the population of Laos sought

refugee status after the Pathet Lao came to power in 1975.

Most of those people fled to Thailand. in the next two

decades, 250,000 Laotians were brought to the united

States from refugee camps. Many were resettled in califor-

nia, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but Laotian communities can

be found all over America. The government of Laos gradu-

ally shut down its reeducation camps and released most of

its political prisoners. The lessening of tensions has

prompted almost 30,000 former refugees to return to Laos.

in the last decade, the office of the united nations High

commissioner for Refugees has reported no evidence of

widespread persecution. At the same time, an unknown

number of Hmong who were allied with the united States

live in hiding in the mountains of Laos, according to the u.S.

embassy in Laos. Living in isolation, these individuals and

their families fear retaliation from the government.

Sources:

BBc news country Profile: Laos.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-

pacific/country_profiles/1154621.stm; Fuller, Thomas. “old u.S. Allies,

Still Hiding in Laos.” The New York Times. Dec. 17, 2007.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/asia/17laos.html;

Saulny, Susan. “Hmong, Shaken, Wonder if a Killing Was Retaliation.”

The New York Times. Jan. 14, 2007.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/us/14hmong.html.



The Phrasavath family with brother-in-law at the

refugee camp in Thailand.


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Southeast asian refugees

in the united States

in contrast to immigrants, who often leave their native coun-

tries voluntarily, refugees are generally victims of political or

social persecution who flee their countries and are resettled

among other populations. Most Southeast Asian refugees

fled cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s

due to the conflicts in their home countries. These refugees

were resettled in towns and cities in the united States where

the population had previously been largely homogeneous.

Refugees face special challenges in their resettlement. Be-

cause they have had little opportunity to prepare for their

immigration, they have longer adjustment periods and more

difficulty finding jobs and learning english. children typically

adjust sooner than adults, causing refugee families to see a

breakdown in communication between generations and dis-

ruption of the family structure. Mental health issues are par-

ticularly significant, given dramatic family changes and the

ongoing legacy of war trauma.

Some Southeast Asian ethnic groups with agricultural back-

grounds, such as the Hmong, face even greater obstacles.

Because of their limited education and work experience in

their home country, they have higher rates of poverty and il-

literacy, though their situation has improved dramatically

over the past 20 years.

Sources:

Haines, David W. Refugees in America in the 1990s. Westport, conn.:

Greenwood Press, 1996; Migration information Source,

http://www.migrationinformation.org/;

Southeast Asia Resource Action center,

http://www.searac.org/commun.html.



Thavisouk Phrasavath and mother orady in Long island home, 1991.


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Southeast asian gangs

Southeast Asian gangs have their origins in the refugees

who came to the united States during the Vietnam War era.

The challenges of integration, which stemmed from the sys-

tematic barriers listed above, increased the involvement of

youth in these gangs.

Beginning in the 1980s, officials noted the development of

gangs among Laotian immigrant children. Asian youth who

become gang members were often drawn to gangs for the

same reason other minorities are and tended to be first-gen-

eration Americans doing poorly in school who felt discon-

nected from their parents and who were subject to racism

and violence from other groups. Generally, a gang provides

youth with a family-type structure, offers its members pro-

tection and often leads members to crime.

When Southeast Asian gangs first began, they mostly tar-

geted their own people and committed petty crimes. Fear

of gang reprisal kept communities quiet and stopped them

from informing police about such internal affairs. Since the

1980s and 1990s, the prevalence of gangs in the Southeast

Asian communities has declined, as youth have come of age

and the communities’ social and economic integration has

increased.

Sources:

canham, Matt and Tim Sullivan. “Asian Gangs a Scourge: Violent Rivals

in the Vietnamese, Lao and cambodia communities are Settling Scores

at Malls, Amusement Parks, Asian Gangs Target their own People.”

The Salt Lake Tribune. April 14, 2003;

Johnson, Dirk. “Hmong Refugees Find Adjustment to u.S. Painful.”

The New York Times. July 25, 1988.

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/25/us/hmong-refugees-find-

adjustment-to-us-painful.html;

Mydans, Seth. “Laotians’ Arrest in Killing Bares a Generation Gap.”

The New York Times. June 21, 1994.

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/21/us/laotians-arrest-in-killing-

bares-a-generation-gap.html;

Sanders, William B. Gangbangs and Drive-bys: Grounded Culture and

Juvenile Gang Violence. Piscataway, n.J.: Aldine Transaction, 1994;

Straka, Richard. “The Violence of Hmong Gangs and the crime of

Rape.” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. February 2003.

http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2003/feb2003/

feb03leb.htm#page_13;

Yen, Randall. “Southeast Asian Gangs in Sacramento.” The Deputy.

http://www.scdsasupport.org/archives/deputy_issue5/issue5-4-

Southeast_Asian_Gangs_Sacramento.pdf




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Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a

few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen. If

the mood seems tense, you can pose a general question

and give people some time to themselves to jot down or

think about their answers before opening the discussion.

Unless you think participants are so uncomfortable that

they can’t engage until they have had a break, don’t en-

courage people to leave the room between the film and

the discussion. If you save your break for an appropriate

moment during the discussion, you won’t lose the feeling

of the film as you begin your dialogue.

One way to get a discussion going is to pose a general

question such as:

• If you could ask anyone in the film a single question,

who would you ask and what would you ask him or

her?

• What did you learn from this film? What insights did

it provide?

• If a friend asked you what this film was about, what

would you say?

• Describe a moment or scene in the film that you

found particularly disturbing or moving. What was it

about that scene that was especially compelling for

you?


geNeraL diSCuSSiON QueStiONS

Discussion GuiDE


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the Big Picture

• consider the significance of the film’s title. List the be-

trayals that you see. Who has been betrayed and who were

the betrayers? What are the consequences of each betrayal?

What can people do to heal from these kinds of betrayals?

• Thavi’s grandmother takes him to the place where his

umbilical cord was buried and says, “You have to remember

this place. This land is where you were born.” Beyond own-

ership, what is it that ties people to particular pieces of land?

What bonds do you have to particular places? What role do

particular places play in your culture or identity and to what

lengths would you go to defend those places?

• The film presents the following Laotian teaching:

To have a hand is to make good things.

To have a foot is to walk on the right path.

To have eyes is for seeing good things.

To have a mouth is to speak kindness and peace.

To have a mind is for thinking good thoughts

and using wisdom.

How do the actions of the people and governments we meet

in the film express or contradict these ideals? compare and

contrast the message(s) to your own ideals, philosophy or

religious beliefs.

• Thavi says, “i run between what i remember and what

is forgotten. Searching for the story of our people, whose

truth has not been told.” What is the “truth [that] has not

been told?” if you wanted to do research to find out more

about that “truth,” where would you find reliable sources?

How would you determine which sources were most reli-

able? Do you think that Thavi would agree with your choice

of sources? Why or why not?

• Thinking about his ties to his past, Thavi asks, “What

happens to people without land, a place to call home?” How

would you answer his question?


diSCuSSiON PrOmPtS

Thavi embraces his grandmother in Laos.


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u.S. Policy

• Thavi says that his family chose to seek asylum in the

united States because his mother said, “Your father was a

soldier for the Americans. The u.S. government will take care

of us.” What, if anything, does the united States owe to men

(like Thavi’s father) who aided u.S. efforts?

• Thavi’s father says, “When the u.S. retreated during the

war, they didn’t think about us, their soldiers who served

them loyally . . . They have shown themselves as nerakhoon,

those who betray.” Do you agree that nerakhoon is a fitting

label for the united States? Why or why not? What is the

consequence of this label for the reputation of the united

States around the world? How does perception affect the

u.S. government’s ability to achieve foreign policy goals?

• According to the film, the united States dropped 260

million bombs on Laos – an average rate of one bombing

mission every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years.

Given u.S. action in Laos during the Vietnam War, do you

think the united States owes Laos anything? explain your

reasoning.

• What lessons should current u.S. political leaders learn

from the multifaceted consequences of u.S. involvement in

Laos during the Vietnam War? How might those lessons

apply to current u.S. policy in places like iraq and

Afghanistan?


diSCuSSiON PrOmPtS


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Life in the united States

• Like immigrants before her, Thavi’s mother believed

that life in the united States would be “one step away from

heaven.” What are the sources of this belief? What happens

when the belief is contradicted by a very different reality?

What specific things about the united States surprised the

Phrasavaths?

• Describe the “war” that Thavi’s family faced in the

united States. include their experiences with things such as

poverty, drugs, gangs, race and racism. in your opinion, what

kinds of “weapons” would

properly equip people to fight

such a war?

• How does the experi-

ence of Thavi’s family com-

pare to the immigrant

experiences of other groups

that have come to the united

States? How do people’s rea-

sons for leaving their coun-

tries of origin influence their

experiences in their new

home? What do you think is

the difference between an im-

migrant and a refugee?

• Thavi’s mother laments

her relationship with her chil-

dren, saying, “i wish i never

brought them here. i’m not

educated, so they don’t re-

spect me. if i could speak

english, whenever they say

something bad i could correct them. That’s why they’re not

scared of me, not scared of their own mother. To them, i’m

just a crazy person. i am scared of my own children.” How

does displacement and immigration alter family relation-

ships? How does it impact a parent’s ability to exercise au-

thority over their children? How might things have been

different if Thavi’s father had been with them in Brooklyn? in

your opinion, are there some universal aspects to Thavi’s

mother’s relationship with her children?

• When Thavi first told his American peers that he was

from Laos, he recounts, “nobody know [sic] why i am here

or the place where i come from.” Given the u.S. role in Laos,

why do you think that knowledge about Laos wasn’t wide-

spread in the united States? How did this ignorance affect

Thavi? How is identity affected by other people knowing or

not knowing about your culture and history?

• Thavi’s family sees a lot of gang activity and his step-

brother in Florida is killed as the result of his gang member-

ship. Why might children from families like Thavi’s be

attracted to gang membership? What could families and

communities do to discourage gang affiliation?

• At first, Thavi didn’t know how to find food, so he fished

in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. “i never understood why they

always tried to stop us. in Laos, anyone can fish in any river

or pond they want.” Would Laos’ policy work for Brooklyn,

or the united States? Why or why not?


diSCuSSiON PrOmPtS

Thavisouk and mother, 2005.


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• Thavi says, “Living in America, we are losing ourselves.”

What do you think he meant? How would you resolve the

tension between wanting to fit in and wanting to preserve

traditions? What should immigrants reasonably be expected

to give up as part of the Americanization process and what

can they rightfully expect to preserve?

• Despite the fact that Thavi is Laotian, he is inter-

changeably called “chink,” “Japanese,” “chinese,” “Korean”

and “dumb cambodian.” How does the blurring of these very

different places and cultures reinforce racism? How might

Thavi’s experience have been different if he were from an

African or european nation instead of Laos?

• on finding out about her husband’s new wife and fam-

ily in Florida, Thavi’s mother says, “i felt like a knife had cut

through my heart. everything i saw was blurred. My ears

were ringing like someone knocked me out. When i walked

on the cement floor, it was soft. . . . i was devastated that he

left me for another wife. no words could describe my lost

heart. it hurt.” What was your reaction to hearing this piece

of information? How did it influence your opinion of Thavi’s

father?

• When Thavi calls his father to return to new York to

help with the kids who have run away, dropped out of

school, or joined gangs, he is rebuffed. His father advises

Thavi to let him go and get on with his own life. Do you think

Thavi should take his father’s advice? Why or why not?


diSCuSSiON PrOmPtS


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the consequences of War

• Thavi remembers growing up during war and thinking

that “killing and dying was only a normal thing.” In your view,

what are the long-term consequences for children who wit-

ness violence as a routine part of life? How can communi-

ties help children who have grown up in violent times?

• Thavi and his

family members

thought of Thavi’s

father as a hero.

How would you

define that term?

Would you agree

that Thavi’s father

was a hero? Why

or why not?

• Thavi’s fa-

ther explains,

“During the war, I

was the one who

called the B-52s

from Vietnam and

Thailand and told

them where to

bomb in Laos.”

When the Pathet

Lao came to

power, they put

him in a prison

camp, where he

did hard labor fill-

ing craters left by those bombs. In your view, did his pun-

ishment fit his crime? How should nations restore justice

after armed conflict? Does implementing so-called “reedu-

cation camps” represent a reasonable attempt to restore jus-

tice? Why or why not?

• What role did war play in the separations experienced

by Thavi’s family (father arrested and presumed dead,

mother leaving behind two daughters in order to get the rest

of her children to safety, 13-year-old Thavi forced to flee be-

fore the rest of his family could follow, etc.) If you were in

charge of reporting casualties of the conflict in Laos, would

you count Thavi’s family among the casualties of war? Why

or why not? Beyond counting deaths and battlefield injuries,

how else could you measure the human cost of war?

• Thavi’s father regrets that he “collaborated with the

Americans to bomb my own country to save it. I was part of

great destruction of my country with foreigners. Indescrib-

able destruction.” Given that he can’t change the past, what

might he do to atone for the actions that he regrets? What,

if anything, could his former country reasonably demand of

him? Did his prison sentence suffice, or are there other

things he could do to set things right?

© American Documentary, Inc.

18

Discussion PromPts


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the Prophecy

The film begins by recounting a Lao prophecy and continues

to weave in excerpts throughout:

The time will come when the universe will shake. It will

break piece by piece, country by country, religion by

religion. Husband and wife will break into two. The

children will escape into the wind. They will scatter to

hide in the woods on islands, like frightened deer

hunted by evil men. The world we know will change

beyond recognition.

When the time comes, the time of traveling to the

promised land, some will be lost, some forgotten. You

will wait in a city with 1,000 rooms where there will be

no day and no night. You will be between heaven and

hell.

Anarchy will be everywhere in small towns and big

cities of every country. City streets will become war

zones.

Greed will exceed moral judgment. People will stop

listening and doing good deeds. Killing, torture and

inhuman acts will appear to naked eyes on the streets

of civilization. The wisdom and value of human life will

be lost. This you will see in every land.

• What do you learn about

Lao culture from this prophecy?

• How is this prophecy uni-

versal? How does it apply to all

of us as human beings?

• Why do you think the

filmmakers chose to include

these excerpts in the film?

• Why might the filmmak-

ers have chosen to use a

woman’s voice for the prophecy?

in your experience, what role do

women play in transmitting cul-

ture? How might war alter the

ways in which cultural stories are

shared? Who tells the stories

that preserve culture in your

family?

• How do our beliefs and

personal experiences shape our

interpretation of events? How might this prophecy shape

Thavi’s interpretations of events in Laos?

documentary filmmaking and technique

• The film uses a combination of vérité and live action,

reenactments, archival footage and landscape. in your opin-

ion, what do these elements add or take away from the film?

Which scenes did you find most powerful?

• ellen Kuras talks about her use of visual metaphor, of

images that tell stories. Think about examples of this in the

film. What did the images communicate?

• The filmmakers do not present a chronological treat-

ment of the 23-year story, but instead move forward and

backward in time. Do you think this is an effective story-

telling device? Why or why not?

• Kuras filmed Thavi and his family for an extended pe-

riod of time and grew close to them. What do you think are

the roles of a filmmaker and a film subject? Do you believe

that filmmakers should befriend their subjects? How might

that type of friendship influence a film?


diSCuSSiON PrOmPtS

Photo courtesy of Pandinlao FilmsS

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• Find ways to support the work of groups helping

refugees or immigrant aid societies. Look into the Southeast

Asia Resource Action center’s advocacy page

(http://www.searac.org/advocacy.html), which addresses

several issue areas, such as deportation, education, material

support and welfare and benefits.

• investigate the services that your school district pro-

vides to immigrant and refugee students. in addition to help-

ing the district provide the support these students need to

succeed, work with teachers and administrators to help all

students learn about these children’s countries and cultures

of origin.

• convene a study group on the history and culture of

Laos. if possible, invite people who have immigrated from

Laos or families of Laotian immigrants to meet with your

group and tell their stories. Find ways to share with your

community what you learn. You can practice or learn Laot-

ian and help others improve their english by finding a pen

pal at http://www.mylanguageexchange.com.

• create a public forum for former gang members, com-

munity activists and law enforcement specialists to speak

about the role that gangs play in your community. As part of

your event planning, plan actions that the community could

take to reduce gang violence. You can also invite a speaker

from ceaseFire to talk about the negative effects of gun vi-

olence by filling out an application here: http://www.cease-

firechicago.org/speakers.shtml.

• Hold a teach-in on the consequences of war with a

focus on the experiences of people who have been displaced

by conflict. if possible, feature the experience of people from

Laos.

• Host a debate on whether or not citizens of other coun-

tries who are enlisted to aid u.S. military efforts (like Thavi’s

father) should be entitled to some form of u.S. veterans ben-

efits. After the debate, contact your elected representatives

to let them know what action you think the government

should take.

• Host a panel discussion on the role and responsibility of

countries in addressing the destruction caused by their in-

volvement in the war. Panelists can include representatives

of non-governmental organizations, legal scholars, govern-

ment representatives and other speakers from the fields of

peace, security and post-conflict.


takiNg aCtiON

Photo courtesy of Pandinlao FilmsS

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22Discussion GuiDE


FILM-RELATED WEB SITES

Original Online Content on

P.O.V. Interactive (www.pbs.org/pov)

P.O.V.’s The Betrayal companion website

www.pbs.org/pov/betrayal

To further enhance the broadcast, P.O.V. has produced an

interactive website to enable viewers to explore the film in

greater depth. The companion website to the Betrayal of-

fers a streaming video trailer for the film; an interview with

filmmakers ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath; a list of

related websites, organizations and books; a downloadable

discussion guide; classroom activities; and the following spe-

cial features:

PHOTO GALLERY

ellen and Thavi share photos from the 23-year produc-

tion process of the film.

ADDITIONAL VIDEO

Watch footage of Thavi’s wedding, Laotian youth talk-

ing about Asian gangs in America, Thavi exploring his

spirituality and an extended interview with ellen Kuras.

SPECIAL PRODUCTION JOURNAL

Filmmaker and cinematographer ellen Kuras talksabout the 23-year production of the film.

film related

THE BETRAYAL

www.thebetrayalmovie.com

The official website of the film provides links to additional

information about the film, bios of the filmmakers, photos

and a list of screenings.

The New York Times:

REFUGEES’ TALE TOOK 23 YEARS TO TELL

www.nytimes.com

This article discusses the process stretching 20-plus years

that Kuras underwent to complete her directorial debut.

(June 8, 2008)

New York: DOCUMENTING LIES: ELLEN KURAS

http://nymag.com/movies/features/52186/

in this article, Kuras discusses the beginnings of the Be-

trayal, which she started in the 1980s, and goes on to tell the

how it evolved into a very intimate portrait of a family deal-

ing with external and internal battles out of its control. (nov.

16, 2008)

The house NexT Door:

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BETRAYAL’S ELLEN KURAS

AND THAVISOUK PHRASAVATH

www.thehousenextdooronline.com

This podcast is an interview with both Kuras and Phrasavath

in which they both explain their two-decade journey with the

film and describe the experience of both being in the film

and working on the film. (nov. 21, 2008)

The reeler: SHOOTING AT WILL

www.thereeler.com/features/shooting_at_will.php

in this interview, Kuras talks about how it was to work on a

film for a large part of her life while working and editing films

for other directors at the same time. Kuras also draws some

parallels between working on the Betrayal and working on

projects such as “Be Kind Rewind.”

(Jan. 9, 2008)


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22What’s Your P.O.V.? Share your thoughts about The Betrayal

by posting a comment on the P.O.V. Blog

www.pbs.org/pov/blog or send an email to [email protected].

http://www.thehousenextdooronline.com/2008/11/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/movies/08lim.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=ellen%20kuras&st=cse

Background on Laos

BBC NEWS COUNTRY PROFILE: LAOS

http://news.bbc.co.uk

This profile from BBc news includes a timeline of key events

in Laos from 1893-2008, links to news stories and more.

CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/LA.html

An encyclopedia-style overview of Laos from the u.S. gov-

ernment’s point of view.

EMBASSY OF THE LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC

www.laoembassy.com

Laos’ embassy in Washington, D.c. provides information

about Laos from the Laotian Ministry of Foreign affairs.

The Times: A DEADLY HARVEST OF

CLUSTER BOMBS IN LAOS

www.timesonline.co.uk

This article reports on the eerie remains from the secret air

war — cluster bombs dropped by the united States are re-

portedly still active and pose a great danger to Laotian chil-

dren almost 40 years later. (April 26, 2008)

Southeast asian Organizations

ASIAN PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK (APEN):

LAOTIAN ORGANIzING PROJECT

www.apen4ej.org/organize_lop.htm

APen combines social justice and environmental activism in

Asian Pacific communities. The Laotian organizing Project

is an environmental justice initiative in Richmond, calif.

CENTER FOR LAO STUDIES

www.laostudies.org

The center for Lao Studies is a resource center for both the

general public and those of Lao heritage. it serves as a liai-

son to cultural and community organizations, universities

and academic institutions. The mission of the center for Lao

Studies is to advance knowledge and engagement in the

field of Lao studies through research, education and infor-

mation sharing.

HMONG NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (HND)

www.hndinc.org

HnD is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to build-

ing community, developing leaders and empowering fami-

lies in the Hmong American community. HnD has

implemented programs, technical assistance training and

needs assessments to strengthen local community based or-

ganizations that assist Hmong American families in matters

of economic development, education and social justice.

LAOTIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL ALLIANCE (LANA)

www.lana-usa.org

The website of this umbrella organization for Laotians in the

united States includes links to various communities and

events, announcements from scholars seeking Laotians for

research purposes and a wide range of initiatives on topics

from combating juvenile delinquency to promoting partici-

pation in the 2010 u.S. census.

LAOTIAN AMERICAN SOCIETY (LAS)

www.lasga.org

LAS is a nonprofit organization committed to serving as a

resource for all people of ethnic origins who are native to

Laos or have ties to Lao culture and heritage in order to im-

prove their quality of life, education, health and welfare by

organizing and sponsoring educational, cultural, social and

other related activities, as well as by promoting communi-

cation and education on issues related to the Laotian com-

munity.


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22

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1154621.stm

LAO ASSISTANCE CENTER OF MINNESOTA

www.laocenter.org

The website of this Minnesota organization formed by Lao

immigrants to help in resettlement efforts includes an excel-

lent set of links to other Lao resources and groups.

HMONG LAO HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

www.laohumanrightscouncil.org

The Hmong Lao Human Rights council website outlines the

major issues facing diverse Laotian communities both inside

and outside of Laos.

LEGACIES OF WAR

www.legaciesofwar.org/

Legacies of War raises awareness about the history of the

Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos and advocates for the re-

moval of unexploded bombs, provides space for healing the

wounds of war and creates greater hope for a future of

peace. Legacies of War uses a unique combination of art,

culture, education, community organizing, advocacy and di-

alogue to create healing out of the wreckage of war.

SOUTHEAST ASIA RESOURCE ACTION CENTER

(SEARAC)

www.searac.org

SeARAc is a national organization advancing the interests of

cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese Americans through

leadership development, capacity building and community

empowerment.

gangs

GANG ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM

www.gangfree.org

Gangfree.org was developed by the Gang Alternatives Pro-

gram (GAP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that pro-

vides services and programs geared to promoting a

gang-free lifestyle to young people and their families.

GANG RESCUE AND SUPPORT PROJECT

www.graspyouth.org

GRASP (Gang Rescue and Support Project) is a peer-run in-

tervention program that works with youth who are at risk of

gang involvement or are presently active in gangs, helps

families of gang victims and serves as a youth advocate.

YOUTH ALIVE!

www.youthalive.org

Youth ALiVe! works with young people in Los Angeles and

oakland, calif. who face multiple barriers to safety and suc-

cess. This includes young people who battle with violence in

their neighborhoods, easy access to guns, poverty, limited

access to resources, high drop-out rates from school and

more.

refugees and war recovery

AMERICAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE (ARC)

www.arcrelief.org

ARc works with its partners and constituencies to provide

opportunities and expertise to refugees, displaced people

and host communities. The organization helps people sur-

vive conflict and crisis and rebuild lives of dignity, health, se-

curity and self-sufficiency. ARc is committed to the delivery

of programs that ensure measurable quality and lasting im-

pact for the people it serves.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

www.amnesty.org

Amnesty international is a worldwide movement of people

who campaign for internationally recognized human rights

to be respected and protected. its mission is to conduct re-

search and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses

of human rights and to demand justice for those whose

rights have been violated.


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http://www.laocenter.org/default.asp?active_page_id=23

The ChrisTiaN sCieNCe moNiTor: A HMONG

REFUGEE FINDS POWER IN THE WRITTEN WORD

www.csmonitor.com

This article talks about how a woman and her family experi-

enced the Vietnam War in Laos, ultimately becoming

refugees and dealing with a variety of ordeals in different

refugee camps and different countries. (June 16, 2008)

The ChrisTiaN sCieNCe moNiTor: ONE REPORTER’S

ODYSSEY TRACKING HIS UNCLE’S LEGACY IN LAOS

www.csmonitor.com

This article follows a journalist on his path to greater under-

standing of his great-uncle, a ciA agent who was in Laos

during the Vietnam War. in his later years this same uncle

went back to Laos and assisted the inhabitants of a village

with humanitarian aid. (April 22, 2008)

CLUSTER MUNITION COALITION (CMC)

www.stopclustermunitions.org

The cMc is an international coalition working to protect civil-

ians from the effects of cluster munitions by promoting uni-

versal adherance to and full implementation of the

convention on cluster Munitions. The cMc has a member-

ship of approximately 300 civil society organizations from

more than 80 countries and includes organizations working

on disarmament, peace and security, human rights, vic-

tim/survivor assistance, clearance, women’s rights, faith is-

sues and other areas.

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITY ORGANIzATION

www.irco.org

in 1975, following the political upheaval in Southeast Asia,

Vietnamese, Laotians and cambodians began fleeing their

homelands by the tens of thousands. The majority of these

people fled overland to Thailand or via boat to Malaysia or

other neighboring countries in the region, although a fortu-

nate few were airlifted out of Saigon by the u.S. government.

in response to this humanitarian crisis, the united States

opened its doors to resettle Southeast Asian refugees. ore-

gon and Washington were two of the first states to offer

new opportunities and homes.

MINES ADVISORY GROUP (MAG)

www.maginternational.org

MAG is a humanitarian organization that saves lives and

builds futures through removal and destruction of weapons

in conflict-affected countries. Winner of the nobel Peace

Prize in 1997, MAG has worked in Laos since 1994, removing

countless unexploded bombs to allow community members

to live safer lives and to support the country’s socio-eco-

nomic development.

MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (MCC)

www.mcc.org/clusterbombs

Mcc is a relief, development and peace building agency

based in the united States and canada. Mcc has worked on

the bomb removal project in Laos with MAG and the Lao

government since 1994. Mcc also works with various com-

munities on integrated rural community development, peace

and conflict transformation and early childhood education

projects.

REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL

www.refintl.org

each year, Refugees international conducts 20 to 25 field

missions to identify displaced people’s needs for basic serv-

ices such as food, water, health care, housing, access to ed-

ucation and protection from harm. Based on field-based

knowledge of humanitarian emergencies, the group then

challenges policy makers and aid agencies to improve the

lives of displaced people around the world.

The Times: GHOSTS OF THE APOCALYPSE

www.timesonline.co.uk

This article reports on the Hmong refugees who assisted the

American military during the secret air war and now, almost

40 years later, live on the run from communist Lao soldiers

who hunt them in the jungles. (oct. 12, 2003)


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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article1165911.ece

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0422/p20s01-wosc.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0616/p20s01-ussc.html

UNITED STATES CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES (USCBL)

www.banminesusa.org

uScBL is a coalition working to ban further u.S. use, pro-

duction and export of anti-personnel landmines and cluster

bombs; to encourage the united States to ratify the 1997

Mine Ban Treaty and the 2008 convention on cluster Muni-

tions; and to garner high levels of u.S. government support

for demining and assistance programs for victims of land-

mines, cluster bombs and other unexploded remnants of

war.

PBS/NPr

morNiNg eDiTioN: HMONG FILL JOBS LEFT EMPTY BY

IMMIGRATION RAID

www.npr.org

This article examines the results of a government raid on a

poultry processing plant where two-thirds of the employees

were undocumented Latino workers who ended up being

deported. in response to this, the factory owners scrambled

to refill positions and recruited Hmong workers in particular.

(May 29, 2007)

Newshour: THE HMONG IN AMERICA

www.pbs.org

correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro of Twin cities Public

Television in Minnesota talks about how the Hmong people

of neighboring Laos resettle into new lives in the united

States. (May 4, 2000)


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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/vietnam/hmong_5-4.html

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10461104

How To Buy THe Film

Discussion GuiDe


Seaso

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22To order The Betrayal, go to www.cinemaguild.com

Produced by American Documentary, Inc.

and beginning its 22nd season on PBS in

2009, the award-winning P.O.V. series is the

longest-running showcase on American television to feature the

work of today’s best independent documentary filmmakers.

P.O.V., which airs June through September with primetime spe-

cials during the year, has brought more than 275 acclaimed doc-

umentaries to millions nationwide, and has a Webby

Award-winning online series, P.O.V.'s Borders. Since 1988, P.O.V.

has pioneered the art of presentation and outreach using inde-

pendent nonfiction media to build new communities in conver-

sation about today's most pressing social issues. More

information is available at www.pbs.org/pov.

Major funding for P.O.V. is provided by PBS, The John D. and

Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Endowment for

the Arts, The Educational Foundation of America, JPMorgan

Chase Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural

Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Lower Manhattan

Cultural Council, The September 11th Fund and public television

viewers. Funding for P.O.V.'s Diverse Voices Project is provided

by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The Andy

Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Special support provided

by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. P.O.V. is

presented by a consortium of public television stations,

including KCET Los Angeles, WGBH Boston and Thirteen/WNET

New York.

P.O.V. Interactive www.pbs.org/pov

P.O.V.'s award-winning Web department produces special fea-

tures for every P.O.V. presentation, extending the life of our films

through filmmaker interviews, story updates, podcasts, video

and community-based and educational content that involves

viewers in activities and feedback. P.O.V. Interactive also pro-

duces our Web-only showcase for interactive storytelling,

P.O.V.’s Borders. In addition, the P.O.V. Blog is a gathering place

for documentary fans and filmmakers to discuss and debate their

favorite films, get the latest news and link to further resources.

The P.O.V. website, blog and film archives form a unique and

extensive online resource for documentary storytelling.

P.O.V. Community Engagement and Education

P.O.V. works with local PBS stations, educators and community

organizations to present free screenings and discussion events

to engage communities in vital conversations about our world.

As a leading provider of quality nonfiction programming for use

in public life, P.O.V. offers an extensive menu of resources, in-

cluding free discussion guides and curriculum-based lesson

plans. P.O.V.’s Youth Views works with youth organizers and

students to provide them with resources and training to use

independent documentaries as a catalyst for social change.

American Documentary, Inc. www.amdoc.org

American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company

dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary

stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in

mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public

culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement

activities around socially relevant content on television, online

and in community settings. These activities are designed to

trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational

opportunities and community participation. Simon Kilmurry is

executive director of American Documentary | P.O.V.

The See it On PBS logo is a trademark of the Public Broadcasting Service and is used with permission. All rights reserved.

Front cover: Refugee camp photograph of Orady, Thavisouk,

and Sethy Phrasavath 1980.


http://www.americandocumentary.org

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