MY NAME IS LAI

MY NAME IS LAI is a short documentary portrait of a Mien American elder, Lai telling of the events leading up to her arrival to the U.S. as a refugee survivor of war.

The film centers elders as cultural bearers carrying memories that connect communities across geographical distance and time. Even if a physical home no longer exists, it still persists in memory.

While now in America, lineage through elders tethers their descendants back home. Through her memories, Lai integrates old and new worlds within her home, relationships, traditional garments, and garden in the U.S.