On May 28, director Pham Thien An with the film Inside the Golden Cocoon received the Camera d'Or award for best debut film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. A debut film made entirely by the talent and brains of very young Vietnamese filmmakers, has won gloriously at one of the oldest film festivals in the world.
Director Pham Thien An's work tells the story of Thien bringing the remains of his sister-in-law Hanh back to her hometown after a motorbike accident. At the same time, he has to raise Dao, Hanh's son. After the funeral, Thien begins to recall memories of the past, where his youth and love quietly passed by.
Inside the Golden Cocoon will officially premiere in theaters from August 11.
Pham Thien An spent the first 30 minutes of the film introducing the character's living space, full of suffocation and danger, where people chase after frivolous things. Thien goes to massage parlors to escape from complicated reality. Using editing techniques, the director puts the audience into Thien's dreams and daily life, blending with the atmosphere and psychology of the character.
The work is told in the style of a documentary, where each character has their own story. Pham Thien An connects each person's confessions, integrating them into the main storyline. After giving the audience enough information, the director takes them into a surreal world, where the boundary between reality and fantasy gradually blurs, thereby revealing what the director wants to create.
Using editing techniques, the director puts viewers into Thien's dreams and daily life, blending with the atmosphere and psychology of the character.
Religious elements appear throughout the work, from the funeral prayers to Thien’s reflections on his trust in God’s love. On the journey from the city to the highlands, Thien confronts his past and inner conflict, dissatisfaction with life. When faced with the faith he has long neglected, Thien has nothing to cling to, his past appears through flashbacks.
In the film, the weather changes from thick fog and overcast skies to heavy rain, symbolizing the journey of searching for faith, which is often obscure and unclear. When the work ends, questions and concerns remain in the hearts of viewers: Is Thien looking for his brother or for himself? What is the purpose of human life?
Religious elements appear throughout the work.
International critics have given the film positive reviews. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received a five-minute standing ovation. The International Cinephile Society commented that the film "will fascinate audiences who take the time and think about a surreal story."
ScreenDaily commented: "Inside the Golden Cocoon is a mysterious and fascinating work by Pham Thien An with the message: There are no easy answers to questions about existence. We can only seek them with kindness and a kind heart. In the end, faith is what remains on the journey to find answers."
Inside the Golden Cocoon will officially premiere in theaters from August 11. This is an opportunity for domestic audiences to enjoy a work that has been certified by international critics, as well as directly support the talented "golden" generation of Vietnamese cinema.
Inside the Golden Cocoon won the Camera d'Or for best first film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
