An award-winning documentary feature, which was released nationwide in October 2015 in twenty cities across the country and is now available for streaming on demand, rental and digital purchase! Winner of the Audience Award at the Bentonville Film Festival and the Interfaith Award for Best Documentary at St. Louis International Film Festival, THAO’S LIBRARY was also screened at five other film festivals before becoming available nationwide.
Forty years after the Fall of Saigon, a young Vietnamese woman is among the Vietnam War’s uncounted casualties. Born near fields where American planes sprayed Agent Orange, Thao lives with severe physical deformities. Halfway around the world, a woman in New York is struggling to cope after the sudden death of her famed younger sister. In the midst of her crippling depression, a friend shows Elizabeth a black-and-white photograph from a recent trip abroad. The image haunts Elizabeth. It shows Thao sitting in a wheelchair outside a shed that houses pig feed, fertilizer — and books. Despite her disabilities, Thao had set up a makeshift library for children in her village. The photographer who captured the image had asked, “If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?” Thao replied, “Three hundred dollars, so I could buy more books.” Through this simple request, Thao and Elizabeth are brought together, forging an unlikely sisterhood, transcending language and culture. The two women reflect on the past and confront the present, changing both lives forever. www.ThaosLibrary.com
