Bolinao 52 (2007)

Directed by

Duc Nguyen

Genre

documentary film

Country

Vietnam

Runtime

57 min

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary recounts the 1988 ordeal of Vietnamese boat people stranded at sea for 37 days. It covers their suffering from storms, engine trouble and hunger, including a reported refusal of rescue by a US Navy ship that led to starvation and cannibalism. Of the 110 people on board only 52 survived when Filipino fishermen finally rescued them.

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What happens

Bolinao 52 is a documentary by Vietnamese American director Duc Nguyen about the Vietnamese boat people ship that was originally stranded in the Pacific Ocean in 1988. During their 37 days at sea, the group encountered violent storms and engine failures. They fought their thirst and hunger and a US Navy ship reportedly refused to rescue them, forcing the boat people to starve despite resorting to cannibalism. Only 52 out of the 110 boat people survived the tragedy and were rescued by Filipino fishermen who brought them to Bolinao in the Philippines. Bolinao 52 premiered on March 19, 2007, in San Francisco and on March 24, 2007, in San Jose at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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