Screening of “Bi, Don’t be afraid”

Thu 29 Mar 2012, 7.30 pm
Cinematheque

From Friends of Vietnam Heritage:
You are invited to the film screening of “Bi, Don’t be afraid” andQ&A with the Director Phan Dang Di. “Grounded in the authentic bustle of Hanoi and the uncomfortable interplay of familial relationships, Bi, don’t be afraid! is a thoughtful cinematic exploration of inchoate longing, the messy consequences of physical decline and encroaching death, and confirmation that sex and youthful exuberance spring eternal. Frankly and overtly sensual with scant dialogue, this contemporary portrait of relatives living in close quarters while harbouring secrets is conveyed with impressive visual assurance.” (Screen Daily)
The debut feature film by Phan Dang Di, Bi, Don’t be afraid! won the SACD Prize in the International Critics week of Cannes Film Festival 2010.

This adult tale centers around life in a dysfunctional family, as seen through the eyes of six-year-old Bi. The boy lives with his parents, his aunt, and a maid in a stifling old house in Hanoi. His parents’ relationship is getting worse, and his 30-year-old reserved aunt (a high school teacher) has never touched a man. Bi entertains himself under the watchful eye of the maid. His grandfather, a retired diplomat, comes home with a serious illness. At first, Bi seems afraid of his grandfather, but they soon begin to develop a closer relationship. Bi’s father, who spends time pursuing a relationship with his masseuse, escapes in alcohol and avoids the old man. Meanwhile, his aunt has sexual fantasies about a 16-year-old she met on the school bus. Left to his own devices, Bi escapes to the tall grasses by the river’s edge and the cool ice factory next door. In the stifling heat, ice turns out to be the only tangible connection between family members.

Languages: English with Vietnamese subtitles

Cost: 130,000 VND (65,000 VND for students with valid student ID)

Limit: 90 people

To Register: Please email Thu at [email protected], Please leave your mobile phone number so we can contact you in case of any last minute changes.