David Duong documentary returns to Bay Area after 8-city tour

The King of Trash, a 72-minute documentary about Vietnamese American entrepreneur David Duong and his family’s refugee-to-business journey, is returning to Northern California after an eight-city U.S. tour drew more than 5,000 attendees. New Bay Area screenings are set through Oct. 3 as the film continues festival momentum and strong local demand.

Why it matters: - The King of Trash turns David Duong’s family story into a broader look at refugee resilience, immigrant entrepreneurship and the Bay Area recycling economy. - The film is drawing audiences that include business leaders, community groups, California Waste Solutions employees and Vietnamese American families. - Demand for Bay Area screenings was strong enough to sell out August tickets in San Jose and the region.

What happened: - The documentary is returning to California theaters after an eight-city U.S. pre-screening tour. - The tour drew more than 5,000 attendees across San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Orange County, Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C. and Orlando. - New showings are scheduled in Dublin on Sept. 19, San Jose on Sept. 26 and Emeryville on Oct. 3. - Nearly 1,000 people have registered or joined waiting lists across the four Bay Area events, according to the production team. - The Sept. 26 screening at AMC Eastridge in San Jose is the final VIP pre-screening. - David Duong, cast members and director Errol Webber are expected to attend the San Jose event. - The film was selected for the 2026 Red Rock Film Festival program and will screen there on Sept. 25 in Utah.

The details: - The King of Trash follows the Duong family from the fall of Saigon, their escape from Vietnam by sea and about a year in a refugee camp in the Philippines to resettlement in San Francisco. - The family arrived with limited resources but brought generations of knowledge from the recovered-paper trade. - In San Francisco, the Duongs collected cardboard, office paper, aluminum cans and other recyclables to support the household. - By the end of the 1980s, the family had seven trucks and won a contract from the city of Oakland. - The family later established CoGiDo Paper Corporation in Oakland and California Waste Solutions. - California Waste Solutions grew into a recycling operation serving communities in Oakland and San Jose. - The film presents the company as employing thousands of blue-collar workers in California. - Vietnam Waste Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of California Waste Solutions, launched in 2005. - Vietnam Waste Solutions handles more than 6,000 tons of waste per day. - The documentary says the company later won a 50-year waste-handling contract in Vietnam for 7,500 tons per day. - One scene shows California Waste Solutions lending money and training to struggling and start-up families so they can buy trucks and find profitable routes. - The film runs 72 minutes and is available with screening information, the official trailer and updates at The King of Trash. - The production team also lists social channels on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The film is landing at a moment when San Francisco’s waste and homelessness problems remain highly visible, making Duong’s work a local story with broader civic relevance. - For immigrant and refugee families, the documentary’s focus on rebuilding, shared labor and intergenerational sacrifice is likely to resonate beyond its business success angle. - Critical reaction has emphasized the film’s restraint, with reviewers praising its focus on family resilience and long-term community improvement rather than hype.

What's next: - Bay Area audiences still have three main chances to catch the film before the run moves on: Dublin, San Jose and Emeryville. - The San Jose VIP screening is set up as the main local event for fans who want to meet Duong and the filmmakers. - Festival exposure and sustained demand could keep the documentary in circulation beyond the current screenings.

The bottom line: - The King of Trash is finding an audience because it pairs a Bay Area business success story with a refugee narrative many local families recognize as their own.