Arrive / Survive
The US government drafted George Barmaksezian in 1967, without knowing he was a refugee from the Pasha-led Egypt. After working for a full tour, George was finally granted citizenship by the US army. Recently, George revealed that he’d be willing to re-visit Vietnam, as he’s kept up with the cultural advancements the country has made over the last few decades. After 5 decades of a successful career and life in the United States, is George finally ready to confront the traumas of his early life?
Through the spiritual experience of travel, George, his children, and his wife tangle through the complex realities and mythos of the American dream, the military industrial complex, assimilation, and generational trauma. His kids, Lisa and Paul, meet to watch footage from the trip, and debate on whether his claims are true. Does he suffer from PTSD, even if he feels he’s been spared? While the current version of George seems happy and together, what have his kids seen to suggest that this isn’t necessarily the full story of his life? Is George’s story proof that the American Dream exists? Or does it prove that there is no possible reality of one?