Henrick Vartanian
This award season, Southern California-based film distribution company 3388 Films has presented, ‘for your consideration’ Hollywood, two feature titles: Kiều, a stunning period piece, romance/drama, inspired by the most famous Vietnamese literary classic of all time The Tale of Kiều by Nguyễn Du; and Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry), Vietnam’s official entry in the international feature category for the 2022 Oscars.
Inspired by the most famous Vietnamese literary classic of all time, Kiều tells the story of an obedient daughter who weds a stranger in order to save a family member.
Kiều is directed by female director Mai Thu Huyền, who also stars in one of the film’s lead roles. Kiều held its U.S. premiere as the selected Vietnamese Spotlight film at the 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival, the second only Vietnamese Spotlight film in the festival’s 22-year history.
Available now on Amazon Prime, Kiều was also awarded ‘The Most Outstanding Film of the Year’ at the ‘Once Upon Vietnam’ Awards, an event sanctioned by the Asian World Film Fest.
Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) is co-directed, co-produced and co-written by the famous Vietnamese actor Trấn Thành, who also stars as the lead character (Ba Sang) in the film. He has 18 million followers on Facebook. Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) is the #1 box office hit of all time in Vietnam and the first Vietnam film to break $1M at the U.S. box office.
Kiều – Inspired by the most famous Vietnamese literary classic of all time, The Tale of Kiều by poet Nguyễn Du, this female-driven film is a story of a filial daughter who agrees to wed a stranger to save her falsely imprisoned father and brother. Unbeknownst to her, this marriage is a deceitful façade to force her into sex labor at a brothel where her talent and beauty spawn cruel jealousy, unwanted obsession and lustful admiration. Pushed into an emotionally wicked and twisted journey, she must decide whether to fully accept or defiantly challenge her Fate in life. With lush cinematic work portraying achingly romantic landscapes of Vietnam, Kiều is a profound juxtaposition of the suffocating conditions of women in a feudal regime and the beautiful empowerment of human liberation.
CAST: Trình Mỹ Duyên, Lê Anh Huy, Cao Thái Hà, Mai Thu Huyền, Lê Khanh
DIRECTOR: Mai Thu Huyền
WRITTEN BY: Phi Tiến Sơn
PRODUCED BY: Tincom Media
Running time: 88 minutes
Distributor (N. America): 3388 Films
The second successful film we want to draw your attention to also hails from Vietnam.
Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) film from Vietnam has become a #1 box office hit.
Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) has become the #1 box office hit of all time in Vietnam and the first Vietnamese film to break $1M at the U.S. box office.
Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry), carries us into the soul of small-alley Saigon life through Ba Sang (Trấn Thành), a chronic meddler whose heart is too big for his own good. Flanked by a hyper-dysfunctional family, Ba Sang sacrifices day-to-day to preserve the tenuous balance between his bullying siblings and his rising YouTuber son. When family cracks rupture, Ba Sang slips into a predicament that threatens to rip his family apart. Bố Già (Dad, I’m Sorry) is a freshly endearing, meaningful story about tangled family dynamics that masterfully depicts the specific complexities of Asian cultures, patriarchy, and family obligations.
CAST: Trấn Thành, Tuấn Trần, Ngân Chi, Ngọc Giàu, Lê Giang, La Thành
DIRECTOR: Trấn Thành, Vũ Ngọc Đãng
WRITTEN BY: Trấn Thành, Kalei An Nhi, Aquay
PRODUCED BY: Trấn Thành Town, Galaxy Studio, HK Film
Running time: 128 minutes
Distributor (N. America): 3388 Films
