Journey From the Fall (2005)
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92% of critics liked it
(24 reviews) -
81% of users liked it
(1,701 ratings)
The true story of the Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon -- and those who were forced to stay behind -- sets the stage for this powerful drama from independent filmmaker Ham Tran. On April 30, 1975, American troops finally left Vietnam as they withdrew from the war they… More The true story of the Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon -- and those who were forced to stay behind -- sets the stage for this powerful drama from independent filmmaker Ham Tran. On April 30, 1975, American troops finally left Vietnam as they withdrew from the war they decided could not be won. As Saigon fell and the Communist North Vietnamese forces took full control of the nation, many people who fought the Communists alongside the South Vietnamese and the Americans found themselves in great danger. One such man was Long (Long Nguyen), who faced imprisonment in a "re-education camp" for his crimes against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Before he was sent away, Long urged his wife, Mai (Diem Lien), to take their family to America by any means possible, and with Long incarcerated with no hope of escape, Mai, her mother and her young son, Lai (Preston Tri Nguyen), escape Saigon aboard a tiny fishing boat to make the dangerous journey to the United States. Six years later, Mai and her family have settled in Northern California, where they've begun a new life -- one that an older Lai (now played by Nguyen Thai Nguyen) finds profoundly difficult to accept. Journey From the Fall (aka Vuot Song) was written and directed by Ham Tran, who was born in Saigon and emigrated to America with his family in 1982; this was his first feature after a handful of award-wining shorts. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Critic Reviews
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Jason Anderson, Globe and Mail
It's to the great credit of Tran and his cast that the movie has such immediacy, gracefulness and power.
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Janice Page, Boston Globe
Even when its wires are showing, the movie's soul is always evident.
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Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
An emotionally intense story of capture, imprisonment, torture and escape.
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Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A stunningly ambitious Vietnamese-American indie film that aims to wrap up the whole of the Vietnamese experience into a Vietnamese Exodus.
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Ted Fry, Seattle Times
A first-rate cast, script, committed director and physical production that burns with authenticity make Journey From the Fall affecting history for all who wish to avoid the doom of forgetting its lesson.
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Cast
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Kieu Chinh
as Ba Noi
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Long Nguyen
as Long
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Diem Lien
as Mai
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Preston Tri Nguyen
as Young Lai
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Nguyen Thai Nguyen
as Lai
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Cat Ly
as Phuong
- Jayvee Mai The Hiep
- Khanh Doan
- Jaivee Mai
