Arrive / Survive
A feature documentary film
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. He re-integrated to America, worked, raised two kids, and retired. Now, almost 60 years later, George wants to return to the country that altered his life forever. Is this his victory lap for completing a healed life? Or are there unresolved traumas he must confront?
Arrive/Survive will focus on George and his grandson Robert (director/producer) as they uncover their shared family history. Missing all of George’s hand-written letters from Vietnam, Robert soon discovers hidden tensions and arguments between his grandparents that led George’s wife Lily to destroy these mementos. Through the film, the family attempts to reconcile the scars left on them by the war, how the couple survived, and what promises have been left unchecked.