Filmmaker Vicky Du explores intergenerational trauma within her family in the very personal documentary film Light of the Setting Sun. Through intimate interviews and personal narratives, Du explores the lingering effects of political upheaval and silence that have persisted in her family since the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949.
The documentary made its world premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, then went on to screen at other festivals including San Diego Asian Film Festival, where it received the Grand Jury Prize in 2024. It opens in theaters in NYC on April 18th at DCTV.
According to the official synopsis, “In her deeply personal and moving directorial debut, filmmaker Vicky Du unravels her family’s war-torn history across three generations and three countries—China, Taiwan, and the United States. Light of the Setting Sun is a poetic exploration of the unspoken, revealing how inherited trauma, insecurity, and the echoes of war shape both identity and legacy. Through archival footage, personal reflections, and intimate interviews, Du crafts a candid and compassionate meditation on survival and the lasting impact of her family’s escape from the 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution.
Reflecting on the genesis of her film, Vicky Du shared, “Eight years ago, my brother shared that he had a mental breakdown, and almost more shockingly, my parents were unable to talk about it. This led to a series of family therapy sessions… The weight of this family tree the feeling that the trauma was an inescapable fate for me, my brother, and potentially our future children – compelled me to travel to Taiwan to meet and film with different branches of the family to understand how the effects of war and genocide continue to reverberate throughout all of us.”
Critics have praised the documentary for its intimate portrayal of family dynamics and the exploration of suppressed histories. Asian Movie Pulse noted, “‘Light of the Setting Sun’ is a personal and quite moving story of intergenerational trauma and the uncovering of a family secret.”
Watch the trailer for Light of the Setting Sun