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Beginning in April, Humanities Texas began holding screenings of the award-winning documentary film Seadrift in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Austin. Upcoming screenings will take place in Dallas and Fort Worth. Following each screening, the film’s director, Tim Tsai, will respond to questions from the audience.

After the fall of Saigon, millions of Vietnamese "boat people" escaped their homeland by sea in a desperate attempt to find refuge. Many sought to build new lives along the Gulf Coast, finding available work and a favorable climate comparable to coast-rich, subtropical Vietnam. But the sudden influx of Vietnamese led to strained tensions in many fishing communities. In 1979, a fatal shooting in the small Texas fishing village of Seadrift ignited a maelstrom of hostilities against Vietnamese refugees along the Gulf Coast.

What really happened during this conflict, which was rife with rumors and false assumptions? How does a community recover and heal after a deep rift that erupted in violence? Seadrift examines this turbulent yet little-seen chapter of American history and explores the consequences that continue to reverberate today.

Dallas

Tuesday, July 30, 2024
7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Violet Crown Cinema–Dallas
3699 McKinney Ave.
Free parking available in the garage located next to the cinema.

Fort Worth

Wednesday, July 31, 2024
7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
3200 Darnell St.
Free parking in the museum lot.

Seadrift Director Tim Tsai (left) in discussion with moderator Ricardo C. Ainslie after the film's screening at Austin Film Society in June 2024.