Vietnamese cinema’s profile has been on the rise at major international film festivals of late. Debut director Phạm Thiên Ân won Cannes’ Caméra d’Or prize in 2023 with his meditative drama Inside the Yellow Cacoon Shell, and Trương Minh Quý brought the country back to the French festival this year with the well-received romantic drama Viet and Nam. Next up, the 81st Venice Film Festival, opening Aug. 28, will add a strong female voice to this budding Vietnamese new wave with the premiere of Don’t Cry, Butterfly, directed by another first-timer, Dương Diệu Linh.
A metaphysical drama (see its first trailer, below), the new film follows Tam (Lê Tú Oanh), a diligent middle-aged wedding venue worker who learns that her husband has been cheating on her when a live TV broadcast of a soccer match catches him on camera in the stands with his mistress. Determined to win back her husband’s heart but reluctant to confront him, she instead turns to a powerful spell master. Tam’s 20-year-old daughter, Ha, pours her frustrations from home into vivid fantasies of a brighter future abroad. Meanwhile, a mysterious “house spirit,” visible only to the women, lurks beneath their cracked leaky ceiling. As the strange encounters gradually become more frequent, the women move forward on a path to self-discovery.
Don’t Cry, Butterfly builds upon Linh’s promising past work in the short film form — Adults Don’t Say Sorry, Mother, Daughter, Dreams and Sweet, Salty — all featuring what she calls “an unconventional depiction of sad, angsty and naggy middle-aged Vietnamese women.”
Presented by Momo Film Co, Don’t Cry, Butterfly was produced by Tan Si En (Momo Film Co), Wilfredo C. Manalang (FUSEE) and Nguyễn Mai Ka (Kalei Films). Yulia Evina Bhara (KawanKawan Media) is a co-producer. The movie also received support from the Hong Kong-Asia Financing Forum (HAF), where it won both the Udine Focus Asia and Wouter Barendrect awards.
Don’t Cry, Butterfly will premiere in Venice’s Critics’ Week sidebar section on Sept. 3. Korean company Barunson E&A is handling all international sales on the title.
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