Shown: January 4, 2016 at 6pm
Director : Tran Anh Hùng
Country : Vietnam / France
Release Date : 1993
Duration : 104 mins
Language : Vietnamese
Subtitles : Yes
WINNER : CAMÉRA D’OR AT 1993 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
A young peasant girl named Mui is hired to work for a well-to-do family in Saigon. Although the household’s fortunes change for the worse, Mui stays with them as a servant and grows infatuated with one of their friends, the handsome Khuyen. Years later, Mui is employed by Khuyen, who has become a renowned pianist. Although Khuyen has a girlfriend, he gradually begins to realise his own strong connection with Mui. A modern fairy-tale of visual beauty set in 1940s Vietnam.
“The movie’s poetic-realist design meshes detailed, patient observation and delectable, poignant travelling shots; it grounds us in the quotidian duties of service and dissects contemporary Vietnamese social hierarchies, yet adds up to something much more subtle and enticing: a lyrical portrait of the human spirit in work and in love. Exquisitely controlled.” (Derek Adams – Time Out)