Independent Lens
Camp Widow
At Camp Widow, every attendee, volunteer, speaker, and staff member has lost their partner; together they find camaraderie and unexpected joy.
Portraits from the Cloth
A Hmong immigrant completes a tapestry telling of her family's dangerous escape from Laos and celebrating survival in a new land.
- Premiere Date
- April 1, 1997
- Length
- 60 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Open Call
Producer
Alberto Justiniano
Producer
Xiong Vang
Producer
Roger Schmitz
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The Film
Fleeing Laos, Tia's Hmong family left everything in hope of survival. Now, settled in the Midwest, she completes a traditional tapestry as a wedding gift for her favorite niece. The tapestry tells the story of their dangerous escape and celebrates their survival in a new land, but Blong, the bride's Americanized brother, wants nothing from the old world. Yet something remains unanswered when a painful memory arises in his dreams. Tia must use her spiritual powers and Hmong traditions to mend her family's growing schism between cultures and generations.
