Before the Legacy, There Was a Family Fighting to Survive: The King of Trash Brings David Duong’s Story to Washington, D.C. and Orlando

OAKLAND, CA, May 29, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Before the company, before the contracts, before the name California Waste Solutions became part of the Bay Area’s environmental services landscape, there was a family on the open sea, not knowing if they would live to see another day.

That is where The King of Trash begins.

The feature-length documentary tells the true story of David Duong and his family, Vietnamese refugees who fled Saigon after 1975, survived a dangerous journey across the ocean, and rebuilt their lives in America from almost nothing. What followed was not a simple success story. It was a lifetime of sacrifice, work, family pressure, faith, loss, forgiveness, and the decision to keep building when life offered no easy path forward.

Now, after private pre-screenings in San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Irvine, Dallas, and Houston, The King of Trash is entering the final stage of its private screening tour with upcoming stops in Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida.

Thousands of attendees have already experienced the film, including community leaders, business leaders, civic representatives, elected officials, entrepreneurs, families, and members of the Vietnamese American community. The documentary has also received coverage from more than 40 media outlets and publications nationwide.

But the strongest response has not been measured only in attendance or media coverage. It has been seen in the silence after the film ends. In the tears from audience members who recognize their own family history. In the conversations between parents and children. In the way people sit with the story long after the lights come back on.

Directed by award-winning cinematographer Errol Webber, The King of Trash follows David Duong from refugee hardship to becoming the founder of California Waste Solutions in Oakland and Chairman of Vietnam Waste Solutions in Ho Chi Minh City. The film presents the Duong family’s journey as both deeply personal and unmistakably American, a story of people who lost their homeland, crossed the ocean, and chose to build a future through work, discipline, and service.

At the center of the documentary is David Duong, but the film also carries the weight of a family legacy. California Waste Solutions is not presented only as a company. It is shown as the result of a family’s shared sacrifice and responsibility, carried forward by the next generation, including Michael Duong, Victor Duong, Kristina Duong, and the broader Duong family.

Their story reflects what many family-owned businesses understand but rarely say out loud: success is not built by one person alone. It is built at kitchen tables, in early mornings, in difficult decisions, in private sacrifices, and in the quiet duty to protect what the previous generation fought to create.

From recycling routes in California to environmental infrastructure in Vietnam, the Duong family’s work grew from survival into service. Through California Waste Solutions and Vietnam Waste Solutions, their journey became connected to jobs, recycling, environmental responsibility, community development, and the belief that business should carry a purpose beyond profit.

“This film is emotional because it shows the cost behind the success,” said a representative of the production team. “Before people see the company, we want them to see the family. Before they see the legacy, we want them to understand what David Duong and his family survived.”

Across the screening tour, audiences have responded to the film’s honesty. The King of Trash does not present success as clean, easy, or polished. It shows the fear of leaving everything behind. It shows the burden of starting over. It shows the pain that many refugees carried quietly while building new lives for their children.

For many Vietnamese American families, the film is more than a documentary. It is a mirror. For broader audiences, it is a reminder that some of the strongest American stories began with people who arrived with nothing but the will to survive.

As the documentary heads to Washington, D.C. on June 11 in the United States Navy Memorial, followed by Orlando on June 14, the final private tour stops will bring the film to new audiences of community leaders, cultural organizations, business leaders, civic voices, and families.

The Washington, D.C. screening carries special meaning as the film reaches the nation’s capital with a story rooted in refugee resilience, family enterprise, environmental service, and the immigrant contribution to America. The Orlando screening continues that journey, bringing the film to a growing and diverse community where stories of sacrifice, rebuilding, and family legacy continue to resonate.

As the team prepares for broader release, The King of Trash stands as more than the story of one founder or one company. It is the story of a family that almost lost everything, survived the ocean, rebuilt in America, and turned hardship into a legacy of work, service, and community impact.

Upcoming Screening Events
Washington, D.C.
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

Orlando, Florida
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

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.

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