film Việt Nam tại Hanoicinematheque
From January 19 – 26 we are pleased to present two
classic films directed
by Vietnam’s most renowned director, Dang Nhat Minh:
WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES (1984)
A haunting portrait of one woman’s struggle with loss
and personal
sacrifice during the war, WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
is considered by many
local and international critics to be the greatest
Vietnamese movie ever
made.
In the final days of the war, a beautiful young widow,
Duyen, faces a
daily struggle to take care of her young son and
ailing father-in-law, all
the while hiding from them the fact that her husband
has recently been
killed in battle. Keeping her secret burden to
herself, she is befriended
by the village schoolmaster, Zhang, who agrees to
fabricate letters from
her dead husband in order to spare her family sorrow.
As their friendship
deepens, Duyen and Zhang find themselves drawn closer
to intimacy - a
dangerous relationship if Duyen if to maintain her
charade. The title of
the movie refers to the month in which the “Day of
Forgiveness” occurs; a
time when it is said that departed souls may visit
loved ones still
living.
The film resonates beautifully with the traditional
Vietnamese precepts of
duty and sacrifice, combined with aesthetic influences
from centuries of
tradional poetry, literature and theatre.
Although this was the first post-war Vietnamese movie
to be shown at
foreign film festivals (winning several awards), the
film has seldom been
shown in Vietnam since it was produced in 1984. The
movie was recently
restored, with English subtitles, and we will be
screening this brand new
copy.
NOSTALGIA FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE (1996)
Powerful and poetic, Nostalgia for the Countryside
explores the tensions
and traumas of everyday life in a rural northern
Vietnamese village.
The arrival from abroad of Quyen, who fled the village
as a small girl,
coincides with the sexual awakening of 17-year-old
Nham, through whose
eyes the story unfolds.
While picturesque on the surface, the countryside that
Quyen dreamed about
turns out to be a landscape of poverty, passion and
tragedy – though not
without pockets of warmth and humor.
Somewhat controversial at the time of its release,
Nostalgia for the
Countryside has been acclaimed by international
critics as a masterpiece,
due largely to the sensitive and compassionate
storytelling of director
Dang Nhat Minh. Vietnamese with English subtitles
SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 19 - 26
19 Wednesday
19:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES Special preview
organized by
Friends of Vietnam Heritage.
Director Dang Nhat Minh will attend to discuss
and answer questions after the screening.
Price VND 80,000.
For reservations, please contact Julian Carey:
e-mail:
[email protected]
20 Thursday
18:00 NOSTALGIA FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE
20:30 NOSTALGIA FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE
21 Friday
18:00 NOSTALGIA FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE
20:30 NOSTALGIA FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE
23 Sunday
14:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
16:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
18:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
20:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
24 Monday
18:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
20:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
25 Tuesday
18:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
20:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
26 Wednesday
18:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES
20:00 WHEN THE TENTH MONTH COMES