Six hot upcoming film projects from Vietnam

Cu Li Never Cries

Dir. Pham Ngoc Lan
Lan’s feature debut follows a retiree, played by veteran actress Minh Chau, who revisits an old hydropower plant to scatter the ashes of her estranged German husband, bringing along his pet pygmy slow loris. Nghiem Quynh Trang, who is also the co-writer and production designer, and Tran Thi Bich Ngoc lead the five-country co-production, with Purple Tree Content and E&W Films from Singapore, France’s Acrobates Films, the Philippines’ Epicmedia and Norway’s Ape&Bjørn as co-producers.
Contact Cadence Studio

Daydreamers

Dir. Timothy Linh Bui
The first Vietnamese film directed by Vietnam-born US filmmaker Bui is also the country’s first notable vampire feature, following the rivalry of two undead brothers — one who lives among humans, the other hiding in isolation. The cast includes Chi Pu (Sister Sister), one of Vietnam’s most recognisable stars, and rising actor Thuan Nguyen. Lotte Entertainment Vietnam will release on December 8. Bui was a producer on Sundance prizewinner Three Seasons (1999), directed by his brother Tony, while his directing credits include US dramas Green Dragon and Powder Blue.
Contact Happy Canvas 

Don’t Cry Butterfly

Dir. Duong Dieu Linh
This comedy drama focuses on two women who struggle to be loved. One attempts to use voodoo to win back her unfaithful husband, while her 20-year-old daughter prepares to seek her future abroad. Momo Film’s Tan Si En from Singapore heads this international collaboration with the Philippines’ Fusee, Indonesia’s KawanKawan Media and the UK’s Adeline Arts & Sciences. Production is due to start in Vietnam in September. It marks the feature debut of Linh, a Singapore-based Vietnamese filmmaker, who has won awards for short films A Trip To Heaven and Sweet, Salty.
Contact Momo Film

The Last Wife

Dir. Victor Vu
The 17th feature by US-born Vietnamese filmmaker Vu is a 19th-century period drama in which the fate of a farmer’s daughter is sealed when she cannot bear a son for the district governor; a chance encounter with an ex-lover evokes her desire for freedom. Kaity Nguyen (Jailbait) and Thuan Nguyen star, and the local release is scheduled for November 3 through Lotte Entertainment Vietnam. Vu’s Oscar submissions Yellow Flowers On The Green Grass and Dreamy Eyes are among the highest-grossing local films of all time.
Contact TFilm 

Song Of The South

Dir. Nguyen Quang Dung
Set during the French colonial period, this epic drama is about an 11-year-old boy who embarks on an arduous journey to the southwest region of Vietnam looking for his father, a soldier with the resistance army. It is adapted from a 1957 novel by Doan Gioi, which was made into a popular TV drama in 1997. The cast includes Tran Thanh and Tuan Tran, both from hit feature Dad, I’m Sorry. The film will open on October 20 through Galaxy Studio. Director Dung’s box-office hits include two recent local remakes: Go-Go Sisters, adapted from South Korea’s Sunny, and The Blood Moon Party, from Spanish feature Perfect Strangers.
Contact Galaxy Studio

Viet And Nam

Dir. Truong Minh Quy
Shot on 16mm, Quy’s narrative feature debut focuses on the relationship of two young miners, one seeking to emigrate to Europe in a shipping container, the other wanting to stay behind. Bianca Balbuena and Bradley Liew from the Philippines lead this seven-country collaboration, co-produced by Singapore’s E&W Films, France’s Deuxieme Ligne Films, the Netherlands’ An Original Picture, Taiwan’s Volos Films, Germany’s Scarlet Visions and Vietnam’s Lagi. Quy’s credits include documentary The Tree House, which premiered at Locarno in 2019.
Contact Epicmedia Productions 

• How the Vietnam film industry is booming even in the face of censorship