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TIFFReviews.com - The directorial debut of cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Neil Young: Heart of Gold) is a poetic and beautifully shot story about a Laotian family’s escape from their home country during the Vietnam War. Their hopes of a better life in New York City are shattered when they discover America isn’t “the heaven” that they dreamed about. Closely following Thavi, the eldest son of the family, the audience witnesses various forms of “betrayal” in the film, from the children’s loss of cultural values and identity, to Thavi’s father, who collaborated with the CIA and suddenly left his family to care for another. Undoubtedly, Kuras’s experience behind the camera helps to strengthen the story, having spent over 20 years collecting valuable footage. The film is visually stunning from the start documenting the family’s life in Laos and Thailand; Betrayal opens with a sunlit shot of children swimming in the river with water buffalo, very reminiscent of Terrence Malick, and shaky views of light seeping through the paddy fields to uniquely portray the family’s frantic escape to Thailand. The mix of this footage with interviews in different video formats over the years also enhances the film’s visual texture.
Rating: 
8.0/10
