Screening of Selected Short Documentaries

Thu 31 Mar 2016, 7.30 – 9 pm
Cinematheque

From the organizer:

This Thursday 31 March, FVH offers a film night at Hanoi Cinematheque, featuring four short documentaries: three director’s choices from student directors at TPD (The Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents), and a documentary co-directed by FVH’s own Brenda Mattick. The screening is followed by a Question and Answer session afterwards with directors and actors.

1. “The young stag“ (Con huou non)
Director: Le Thu Minh
Year: 2015
Duration: 24 minutes
With English subtitles

This is a documentary film about child marriage in an ethnic minority society in the northern mountains of Vietnam. The story is conveyed in a gentle, deep way and with a clear message. This sensitive film tastefully brings into focus this area’s beautiful scenes of nature and the current rural lifestyle of families who live in this remote place.

2. “When the waves flap the shore” (Khi song vo bo)
Director: Nguyen Xuan Hoang Minh
Year: 2015
Duration: 25 minutes
With English subtitles

A man returns to Viet Nam empty handed from the Czech Republic for his father’s funeral. For the first time, after 26 years living far away in another country, he meets his wife and the son who is now grown up. Relatives and acquaintances think he is wrong for having stayed away from home and he feels completely lost in his own hometown. All he can do is rely on his wife who is still in love with him and has been faithful to him all the years he was absent. But, is the knowledge and support of her love enough to lead him to leave his routine life abroad? That life is also filled with its own concerns, and he would need to choose to leave behind his opportunities to make money. At nearly 60 years of age, is it possible for him to stay home and once again resume his life in the roles of husband and father?

3. “For Mr. Dieu” (Danh tang ong Dieu)
Director: Nguyen Hien Anh
Year: 2015
Duration: 23 minutes
With English subtitles

Hidden in a small alley of Hanoi is a respectful intellectual – an elderly man who describes himself as “born in the wrong century”. In this film, the viewer moves from one joyful experience to another, discovering interesting stories about this man who still plays a part in the Hanoi’s intellectual life. At first glance, people may see Dieu as a strange fellow who keeps wearing the same clothes for years and has not traveled anywhere for quite a few years. Soon, however, they find out that Dieu is an older Hanoian who believes in the city’s traditional intellectual values and lives a life of non-stop contribution to them. Despite his advanced age, Dieu keeps teaching foreign languages to neighborhood children and foreigners. He often works at night writing and translating foreign language books to leave for the next generation.

4. “Dumpling cake bikes” (Banh Bao Bikes)
Co-directors: Brenda Mattick and Tung Ja
Year: 2015
Duration: 15 minutes
Language: English

Mr Tuan runs a busy Banh Bao (‘fried dumpling’) street food stall in Hanoi. In his spare time (sometimes way after midnight) he finds, buys, restores and rides vintage bicycles from the French colonial era. Now vice-president of the Old & New Bicycle Club, Tuan remembers when bicycles cost more than houses. His father had owned a bicycle, but Tuan and his six siblings weren’t allowed to touch it, let alone ride it. This bike was their only form of transport: a precious asset. Tuan has never forgotten the value of bicycles. Although motorbikes, scooters and cars are the main form of personal transport in Hanoi these days, he hopes that more Hanoians will get back on their bicycles for a cleaner, calmer, and more community-minded city.

Watch the film’s trailer here:
[vimeo width=”700″ height=”393″]https://vimeo.com/92426944[/vimeo]

Cost: 150,000vnd
Limit: 90 people
Contact: Ms Hang via email [email protected] (0906020960)
Please leave your mobile number so you can be contacted in case of any last minute changes.