Tough Love (2005)

This is a semi-autobiographical story about Tina, a Vietnamese woman fleeing Vietnam for freedom in America during the first wave of the "boat people" exodus. During a harrowing month-long journey from Vietnam to Hong Kong on a small, unstable boat, Tina, her husband, and their six-month-old child faced immense hardship. Their vessel, carrying forty refugees, was twice attacked by pirates who stole their money and possessions. They also survived a violent storm that nearly destroyed the boat. Tragically, their six-month-old son died from exposure. Penniless and grieving, Tina arrives on the west coast of Canada and discovers that the "American Dream" is not what she expected. What happens when the American dream becomes a nightmare?