Synopsis

While her mother is expecting their second child, young Thi befriends Ngoc, a club waitress who has just moved in as a tenant in their family home. As their friendship grows, she discovers that Ngoc is secretly a sex worker. Meanwhile, an art book of Tamara de Lempicka’s female nudes, stolen from a bookshop, silently bears witness.

Festivals & Awards

Scriptwriter(s)

Nguyễn Lương Hằng

Producer(s)

Nguyễn Mai Ka, Nhi Bùi, Lê Quỳnh Anh, Raul Garcia Jr

Executive Producer(s)

Nguyễn Mai Ka, Nhi Bùi, Nguyễn Lương Hằng

Key Casts

Jury Quỳnh Lâm, Ngô Phương Thảo, Hoàng Trần Minh Đức, Ngô Quang Tuấn, Ngô Nhan Đức Huy

Curators’ note

Director’s Statement

We learn about the world through the people and things that we encounter as a child, but we don’t always carry them all with us when we grow up. Sometimes, we have to leave them behind in order to become who we truly are. In this particular story, a curious little Vietnamese girl with conservative parents whose acquisition of a Tamara de Lempicka nude painting book and friendship with her parents’ club waitress tenant lead her to discover her own womanhood. But in the process, she loses the friend that helped her find herself.This story is based a lot on my childhood memories of an actual book that I had when I was ten, of my family, my parents, our old house, and its various female tenants that I befriended and grew up with when I was little. These women that I met in real life and through the pages, they all have inspired me to be who I am today. Making this film, for me, is a process of remembering them and reconnecting with my child self. I want to capture this personal experience, nevertheless very universal.Who did you meet as a child that left a lasting impact on you until today?