French press gives much praise to films by Vietnamese directors at Cannes Film Festival

On the evening of May 27 in France, the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival ended with the historic victory of two Vietnamese filmmakers: Tran Anh Hung, who won the Best Director award for the film “La Passion de Dodin Bouffant” (The Pot-au-Feu), and Pham Thien An, who won the Golden Lens (Camera d'Or) award for his debut film “Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell”.

Director Tran Anh Hung (2nd, left) with French actress Juliette Binoche (2nd, right) and actor Benoit Magimel (right) at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in France, May 25, 2023. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Not only did these two directors receive applause from the public, they also received much praise from the French press.

"La Passion de Dodin Bouffant", translated as The Passion of Dodin Bouffant, by French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung, adapted from the novel of the same name by writer Marcel Rouff, tells the love story between young female kitchen assistant Eugenie, played by actress Juliette Binoche, working alongside famous chef Dodin, played by actor Benoit Magimel.

During their 20 years of working together, they developed a deep affection for each other, stemming from their shared love of culinary art. Together, they created many special dishes that left diners in awe. However, in the end, Eugenie, who always wanted to be free, refused to marry Dodin. The famous chef decided to give her a special gift: he prepared a special meal for her.

Commenting on this film, the daily newspaper Le Monde said that with the main actors Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, French director of Vietnamese origin Tran Anh Hung has made his mark on a very academic film about cuisine and the art of living. The film not only depicts a love story at the end of the 19th century but also honors the art of good food, in the French style, and a sociable lifestyle, like the French.

The daily Le Figaro compared the character's performance in "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" to the gentleness of Catherine Deneuve in the French classic "Peau d'âne", or the wonderful performance of Stéphane Audran in the film "Festin de Babette" (Oscar for best foreign language film in 1988).

Recalling the success of director Tran Anh Hung with the film "The Scent of Green Papaya" (L'Odeur de la papaye verte) which helped him win the Golden Lens Award in 1993, the author of the article said that "La passion de Dodin Bouffant" brought him a convincing Best Director award and affirmed that "with a very successful performance of the novel of the same name by Marcel Rouff, Tran Anh Hung's film will certainly satisfy gourmets, of which there are many in France".

While Tran Anh Hung shone at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival with the Best Director award, young director Pham Thien An stood out with the Golden Lens award presented by the Association of Filmmakers for his debut work, "Inside the Golden Cocoon".

The story revolves around the journey of Thien. His sister-in-law, Hanh, died in a sudden car accident in Saigon, leaving behind a son named Dao. Thien returns to his hometown, carrying the responsibility of arranging his sister-in-law's funeral, taking care of the baby and searching for his brother who has been lost for many years in the mysterious mountains and forests. His journey is interspersed with forgotten dreams and deep passions, causing him to ask himself many questions about life and faith.

Pham Thien An's film not only won the sympathy of the judges and the public, but also received many compliments from the French press.

The daily newspaper Libération compares "Inside the Golden Cocoon" to a contemplative epic in the Vietnamese countryside. According to the author of the article, this debut feature film by Pham Thien An deserves the Golden Lens award thanks to its incredible cinematography, made by a 33-year-old Vietnamese filmmaker, trained through a small job filming weddings, and assisted by a group of friends who were mostly trained in the process of filming (director Dinh Duy Hung is a childhood friend, the art director is his wife, Ms. Huynh Phuong Hien).

The French-language magazine Gavroche of Thailand commented that the appearance of a young filmmaker at a professional and prestigious playground like Cannes has never been an easy task. But the director of "Inside the Golden Cocoon", Pham Thien An, only 34 years old, has emerged as a phenomenon, one of the most beautiful discoveries of Cannes, which has always been a playground for veteran filmmakers in both age and career. The author of the article believes that with the Golden Lens, Pham Thien An promises to go far.

Born in 1962 in Da Nang, Tran Anh Hung is the Vietnamese film director who has won the most international awards to date. He has affirmed his reputation in European and world cinema, including many films about Vietnam such as "Nguoi Thieu Phu Nam Xuong" which was introduced at the Cannes Film Critics Week in 1989, "Mui Du Xanh" which won the Golden Lens Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993 and the Cesar Award for best film in 1994. Many films with Vietnamese backgrounds and themes such as "Xich Lo" (1995), "Mua He Chieu Thang Thang" (2000) have all received public acclaim.

Director Pham Thien An

Pham Thien An was born in 1989. He won second prize in the "48 Hour Short Film Making" competition in 2014. In 2018, his short film "The Mute" was screened at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and was selected to compete at about 15 other international film festivals. In 2019, Pham Thien An attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time with the short film "Stay Awake, Be Ready".

According to baotintuc.vn

Source link