Divorced and recently laid off, a Hmong man in western Montana attempts to keep up appearances while avoiding pressure to remarry. Sensing something wrong, his mother consults a shaman, whose advice he ignores. As tensions mount within his family, he escapes to the mountains to pick morels. There, an encounter with a stranger challenges him to imagine a new way forward—and come to terms with the shameful secret he’s been hiding all along. Attentive to both the nuances of Hmong-American culture and the distinct landscape of western Montana, Bitterroot explores the complex experiences of former refugees once physical barriers are overcome.


The focus of a script read at the 2019 Montana Film Festival, Bitterroot is the hotly anticipated follow-up to writer/director Vera Brunner-Sung's debut Bella Vista. Bitterroot received a Special Jury Mention for Cinematography in a US Feature at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. It's making its Montana Premiere at the 2024 Montana Film Festival.


Q&A with writer/director Vera Brunner-Sung and producers Melissa Vang and YEEJ, and actor April Charlo to follow both screenings! Sponsored by Missoula Video Production Rentals!