2023 Zion International Film Festival

Social Commentary Shorts

Expired November 13, 2023 10:00 AM
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8 films in package
Adaptive Adventure
While navigating her way through an arduous journey with lupus, Kate Appleby continually engages and wholeheartedly immerses herself in outdoor adventures.
Truthosis
Touching an infected person is enough to contract this new rare and unlisted disease and to be compelled to tell only the truth. As the virus spreads, the lying habits of our humanity are truthfully exposed.
The (Other) 700 Club
On a corner in Brooklyn, a community of delivery drivers gather to share advice and experiences.
The Elevator Dance (For Elisa) Remix
A re-enactment and a radical reinterpretation of the infamous Elisa Lam elevator surveillance video.
The Last Tree (Son Ağaç)
What happens when the last tree on earth is cut down?
Not Today
Thirty year-old Meryem makes her living babysitting for a middle-class family, while also taking care of both her own children and her mother with Alzheimer’s. Treated like a member of the household she serves, Meryem begins to believe she belongs. This illusion is further supported by the self-help books she discovers, and eagerly consumes. Under the influence of these new teachings and this new lifestyle, Meryem decides to reset her life, but chooses the worst day possible to take action.
Precious Cargo: Return to Vietnam
A story of connecting and a search for answers.
FREE(d) by Faith
When a young man from Fairfield—one of the most dangerous cities in Alabama—grows up without a father figure to form him as a man, how does he find his way out of the poverty, violence, and desperation that surrounds him?
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Born in South Vietnam, they were transported into American homes almost overnight in cities and suburbs nationwide. They soon became the beloved sons and daughters of close-knit American families. They wanted to belong but knew they were somehow different. Strangers stopped them and asked of their origins. In many cases they were unable to answer. And it hurt.


A STORY OF CONNECTING AND A SEARCH FOR ANSWERS


This documentary explores the complex history of the 1975 Operation Babylift. It was the last chapter of a war that tore this country apart. Yet it is not quite over for the children who were given love and education, but most important, a new beginning.


For the military, it seemed like a final act of redemption. To the government in Hanoi, it was a propaganda ploy or a criminal act, tantamount to kidnapping. Other critics saw it as a last effort of the U.S. government to win sympathy and financial support for South Vietnam. But for most Americans, it was a final gesture in a war they wanted to forget.

Those least able to forget are the adoptees, now in their mid to late 40s. Reunions and a trip to Vietnam help them understand their history after years of speculation. In a story about connecting, we follow six of them on that journey.

  • Runtime
    28 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    Viet Nam, United States
  • Premiere
    West Coast
  • Director
    Janet Paxton Gardner