SILVER

Long (Hiệp Trần Nghĩa), an elderly Vietnamese cab driver in southern California, answers a late-night call for a ride. Already in his pajamas, he reluctantly accepts, picking up a man, Tây (Dustin Nguyen, 21 JUMP STREET, ONCE UPON A TIME IN VIETNAM), and his two companions. The men are recently escaped convicts from an Orange County jail, and they take Long hostage at gunpoint, thrusting him into their getaway plan. When complications arise, the fugitives and their hostage take refuge in a motel, and a tense waiting game unfolds. Director and co-writer Sing J. Lee's striking visuals and mood-driven aesthetic set the tone for unnerving intensity, punctuated by moments of humor and warmth. Inspired by a true story, this is not just a crime film, but a stirring portrait of a lonely old man and his relationship with Tây. It's hard to overstate the captivating presence and poignance of Hiệp in carrying the burdens of Long's past, expressed through lyrical and gently surreal interludes: war, re-education camp, family estrangement and now his marked isolation, having lost every "home" he's ever known. (Note adapted from Sundance Film Festival.) Winner, Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic, 2023 Sundance Film Festival. DIR/SCR Sing J. Lee; SCR Christopher Chen; PROD Kimberly Steward, Basil Iwanyk, Andy Sorgie, Brendon Boyea, Joseph Hiếu. U.S., 2023, color, 117 min. In English and Vietnamese with English subtitles. NOT RATED

No AFI Member passes accepted.

About DC Asian Pacific American Film
The DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival brings attention to the creative output from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and encourages the artistic development of AANHPI talent, arts and films in the greater Washington, DC, metropolitan region. The 23rd edition of the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival takes place July 13–16 as an in-person only event, and AFI Silver is proud to co-present the festival's closing night presentation! For this year's full festival lineup, visit apafilm.org.