After moving thousands of attendees across six U.S. cities, the documentary continues its final private screening tour, sharing a deeply human story of refugee survival, the American Dream, family legacy, entrepreneurship, and community service.
OAKLAND, CA, May 29, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- "The King of Trash," a feature-length documentary about David Duong and his family, is entering the final stage of its private screening tour with upcoming screenings in Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida.The film has already been privately screened in San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Irvine, Dallas, and Houston, drawing thousands of attendees and receiving coverage from more than 40 media outlets and publications nationwide. But beyond the numbers, the documentary has struck audiences for a deeper reason. It tells a story many families understand, the story of losing almost everything, surviving what should have broken you, and choosing to build anyway.
Directed by award-winning cinematographer Errol Webber, The King of Trash follows David Duong from the fall of Saigon in 1975 to the open sea, where his family faced hunger, fear, and uncertainty with no promise they would survive. Like many Vietnamese refugees, they carried the pain of leaving home, the weight of starting over, and the quiet hope that life could still be rebuilt.
For David Duong, survival was only the beginning.
In America, he did not inherit opportunity. He created it through discipline, sacrifice, and years of work that few people ever saw. From those beginnings, the Duong family built California Waste Solutions in Oakland and later Vietnam Waste Solutions in Ho Chi Minh City, creating a family-owned environmental services legacy that now reaches across two countries.
The King of Trash looks beyond the public image of business success. It shows the private cost behind the achievement, the long days, the family sacrifices, the pressure of responsibility, and the belief that a company should do more than make a living. It should serve people. It should create jobs. It should improve communities. It should carry a family’s values into the future.
At the center of the film is not only a businessman, but a father and refugee who turned loss into duty. The documentary shows how David Duong’s life became tied to family, work, environmental responsibility, and community service. His story reflects a generation of immigrants who rarely spoke about their pain, but showed their strength through what they built.
Across the six-city screening tour, thousands of audiences have responded with emotion because the film does not present success as something easy or polished. It presents success as something earned through hardship, patience, and the willingness to continue when there is no guarantee of recognition.
Many attendees described the film as deeply personal, especially for refugee and immigrant families who saw parts of their own history reflected on screen. Others connected with its broader message about family, forgiveness, resilience, and the responsibility that comes with achievement.
“This film is powerful because it does not only ask people to look at what David Duong built,” said a representative of the production team. “It asks people to understand what he survived, what his family carried, and why those legacy matters.”
The documentary has also connected with business leaders and civic audiences because it presents a different kind of American success story. It is not only about growth, expansion, or recognition. It is about building a family-owned company with roots in service, responsibility, and long-term commitment to the communities it serves.
As The King of Trash moves to Washington, D.C. on June 11 in the United States Navy Memorial, followed by Orlando on June 14, the film enters its final private tour stops before broader release. These screenings will bring the documentary to new audiences, including community leaders, civic leaders, cultural organizations, business leaders, and families.
The film’s journey across the country has shown that David Duong’s story is not limited to one community. It speaks to anyone who has known struggle, carried family responsibility, or tried to build something meaningful from difficult beginnings.
As the team prepares for wider distribution, The King of Trash continues to stand as a story of survival, family, forgiveness, work, and service. It is a reminder that legacy is not built in one moment. It is built over a lifetime, through the choices people make after they have survived the storm.
Upcoming Screening Events
- Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
- Time: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
- Location: United States Navy Memorial
- 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
- Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
- Time: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM EDT
- Location: Regal Winter Park Village Stadium
- 510 N Orlando Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
About The King of Trash
"The King of Trash" is a feature-length documentary directed by award-winning cinematographer Errol Webber. The film tells the true story of David Duong and the Duong family, Vietnamese refugees who survived the fall of Saigon, rebuilt their lives in America, and founded California Waste Solutions and Vietnam Waste Solutions. The documentary has completed a six-city private screening tour across the United States and is continuing toward wider distribution. For media inquiries or event information, contact info@thekingoftrash.us or visit www.thekingoftrash.us.
Media Contact
Wendy Nguyen
info@thekingoftrash.com
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