“Independent film” - according to the book “Film and Television Terminology” of the Vietnam Cinema Association, also known as “Art Film”, is produced by an individual or a group of individuals without profit, with their own funds or sponsorships, without a parent company. The connotation of this term also contains independence in content, ideology, independence in artistic criteria, independence from things “outside oneself” to put a lively and attractive ego at the center of creativity.
Independent filmmakers mainly do it to satisfy their personal passion, so the budget for making a film does not need to be too large, and the actors do not need to be famous. What attracts audiences is mainly the subject matter, the new perspective...
Not confined to old stereotypes, topics that are absolutely "obedient" to etiquette or orthodox morality; independent films exploit the most ordinary hidden corners of each person, frankly revealing reality with artistic refinement, cherishing people but not denying moral values. It is these unique characteristics that have made this genre of Vietnamese cinema successful in the world, receiving the welcome of international friends.
"Glorious Ashes" with a clear artistic mark
With the heavy sadness of life rising from the pile of "Brilliant Ashes", director Bui Thac Chuyen once again dissects a familiar theme: the unstable relationship between men and women through the language of cinema.
The film directed by Bui Thac Chuyen won the highest award, the Golden Balloon of Fire (French: Montgolfière D'or). The website of the Tricontinental Film Festival published the jury's comments on the film: "We award this film for the poetry of the shimmering and enchanting world it brings...". This is also the first time a film from Vietnam has won the highest award at the International Film Festival of Three Continents. The film was honored by the jury for its enchanting poetry and aesthetic values and local flavor, which were uniquely recreated through the director's authorial language.
The film's story takes place in Thom Rom hamlet, the river region of Ca Mau, which has long been the subject of many Vietnamese literary and cinematic works.
“Glorious Ashes” tells the story of three women, how they love and how they try to keep their men. The main setting of the film is Ca Mau. Bui Thac Chuyen wrote the script himself from two short stories “Rotten wood drifts back” and “Glorious Ashes” with the background of a poor, desolate and stagnant countryside in the Southwest. He not only conveyed the cultural space with strong indigenous characteristics in Nguyen Ngoc Tu’s literature, but also projected it in a psychological space, with characters who seem to have died or have too much damage from within.
On this barren land, a life lacking in complete love, people with twisted fates do not complain. They still love, are tolerant, and calmly accept what life brings.
“If I could cry, I wouldn't have burned down the house.” – Nguyen Ngoc Tu wrote so through the sober confession of the drunken man who likes to burn houses in Ashes of Glory. And in Bui Thac Chuyen’s movie, Tam’s addiction to burning houses seems to represent the impotence of masculinity and the damage of men in finding happiness with the women they love.
“Inside the Cocoon” wins grand prize in Italy
Director Pham Thien An's debut work "Inside the Golden Cocoon" won the prestigious "Golden Lens" award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
The film tells the story of Thien, played by actor Le Phong Vu, who returns his sister-in-law's remains to his hometown after a motorbike accident. From a young man who left his hometown to go to the city to make a living, busy chasing after drinking parties on street corners with his friends, Thien now has to adopt a young nephew named Dao, his sister-in-law's son, after a family incident.
The director uses a minimalist, natural but sophisticated and elegant cinematic language, leading us into a character's inner journey.
On his journey back to his hometown to bury his sister-in-law, Thien must face inner conflicts mixed with dissatisfaction with life. Stories of Thien's past appear through flashbacks with emotions with no place to cling to, forcing him to embark on a journey to find the faith that he has long neglected.
“Inside the Golden Cocoon” is made in a documentary style, with many different characters, each with their own life stories: the older brother who left his wife and children to work far away, the orphaned nephew with naive questions about “faith” and “heaven”, the unfinished love story between Thien and Thao - who later decided to become a nun, a veteran named Luu who works as a mortician for the villagers,…
Is that the reason why the film about an "unmistakable Vietnam" won a prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival?
Screendaily wrote: "Cinematographer Dinh Duy Hung shows the audience beautiful scenes of Vietnam such as the quiet forest at night, the rushing waterfall, the trees swaying in the wind or the image of colorful golden cocoons. The camera angles are reasonable and rhythmic, focusing on the key details. Pham Thien An knows exactly what he needs to record to convey the story to the audience.".
“Rain on Butterflies” successfully premiered at Venice 2024
“Rain on the Butterfly Wings” is the debut film of 9x director Duong Dieu Linh, after impressive short films including “Thien Duong Goi Ten”, “Ngot, Mui” and “Mother, Daughter, Dreams”. This is the only representative of Vietnamese cinema at Venice 2024 to win two awards within the framework of the International Critics Week including the Circolo del Cinema Verona Award for Most Innovative Film and the Iwonderfull Grand Prize for Best Film.
The film is a story about mother and daughter Tam (Tu Oanh) and Ha (Nam Linh) who ride a motorbike to fight after watching a football match on TV and discover that her husband, the father (Le Vu Long), is having an affair. Tam finds a sorcerer online in the hope of making her cheating husband change his mind, but accidentally awakens a mysterious supernatural force in her own house.
“Rain on the Butterflies” received cheers from the audience at the Critics’ Week in Venice right after its premiere. The film received a 2.5 minute standing ovation and was commented on by many prestigious international film news sites such as IndieWire, Screendaily and Cineuropa. Director Duong Dieu Linh burst into tears after the screening and shook hands with each member of the crew before going on stage to give a speech.
Rain on the Butterflies is Duong Dieu Linh's experiment in genre: from short films to a feature-length film, exploring the endurance of middle-aged women in Vietnamese society.
Right after the Venice Film Festival, “Rain on Butterflies” continued to attend the Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan Film Festival taking place in October, in the program “A Window on Asian Cinema”.
The award was a surprise and a source of happiness for director Duong Dieu Linh and the film crew, but for the young girl, the greatest reward was the memories on set, the spirit of sharing hardships and the love of the whole crew for each other as well as for the film.
Actress Tu Oanh (standing) at the 2024 Venice Film Festival
Like any other art form, cinema needs to be aimed at the public, meeting the healthy needs of the public and independent films are no exception. The main thing for an independent film to reach the public is the talent, passion, and effort of the filmmaker. In addition, there needs to be support from the management agency for this film genre through mechanisms, policies, and funding from the cinema development support fund.
