Summary Of The Film Letters To Thien

In the documentary film Letters to Thien, director Trac Minh Vu recounts the murder of Thien Minh Ly, an outstanding UCLA graduate. This murder shocked a young generation of Vietnamese students as well as Trac himself, for it involved in racial hatred, a capital crime. Thien’s death not only leaves endless sorrow on his family, but it is a red alert of racial hate crime in society. For Vietnamese refugees in the United State, they do not face the hard racism as Black and Chinese did in the past. However, it is still a protracted problem and induces intense crimes in the society today.
Thien Minh Ly was the oldest child of a family of first-generation immigrants from Vietnam. To his friends and family, he was an excellent student, holding double majors which are biology and English in UCLA. Recalling his life, his friends tell about his passion, accomplishments, and his influence on them. He was both a successful student and a good son to his …show more content…
With his emotion towards Thien’s death, Trac embarked in making the film. As a result, Thien is brought back to life through interviews, and through letters written to him by his friends. There is a moving feeling when the interviewees reminisce about Thien’s life. As the second generation of Vietnamese American, Thien held American values. He loved poetry, Shakespeare, and sport. But his prominent personality was most remarked by his insatiable curiosity about Vietnamese culture, which is not often seen to young Vietnamese generations. His thirst for the mother culture had inspired him to conduct a Vietnamese Culture Night Show at the university in which he was the director. Those his values made him an honorable friend, and a proud son. Therefore, although he was dead, Thien’s qualities do have an effect on his friends and family, especially his younger brother, who has begun to realize the life lessons his killed brother taught