Not only the applause of the public, but these two directors also received much praise from the French press.

“La Passion de Dodin Bouffant”, roughly 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 chef Eugenie, played by actress Juliette Binoche, working alongside famous chef Dodin, played by actor Benoit Magimel.

Director Tran Anh Hung won the Best Director award for the film "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" at the closing ceremony of the 76th Cannes Film Festival in France, on the evening of May 27, 5. Photo: VNA 

During 20 years of working together, a deep affection arose between them, stemming from a common love for the culinary arts. Together, they have created many unique dishes that make diners admire. But in the end Eugenie, always wanting to be free, refused to accept the offer to marry Dodin. The celebrity chef decided to give her a personal gift: Prepare her a special meal.

Commenting on this film, the French daily Le Monde said that along with the main actors Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung has put his mark on a very academic film about food 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 fine dining, 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 "Festin de Babette" (the Oscar for best foreign language film in 1988).

Recalling the success of director Tran Anh Hung with the film "The smell of green papaya" (L'Odeur de la papaye verte) that helped him bring home the Golden Lens Award in 1993, the author of the article said that "La passion de Dodin Bouffant" had brought him the convincing Excellent Director award and affirmed that "with the very successful performance of the French novelist of the same name, the French capitalist Marcel Hung is sure to satisfy many gourmets".

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

The story revolves around the journey of the character Thien. His sister-in-law died in an unexpected car accident in Saigon, leaving behind a son named Dao. Thien returned to his hometown, carrying the task of taking care of the funeral for his sister-in-law, taking care of the baby and looking for his brother who had been lost for many years in the mysterious mountains. His journey is mixed with slumbering dreams and deep-seated passions, leaving him questioning 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 Libération compares “Inside the golden cocoon” as an epic poem worth contemplating in rural Vietnam. According to the author of the article, Pham Thien An's feature-length feature debut deserves the Golden Lens award for his incredible cinematography by a 34-year-old Vietnamese filmmaker who was trained through the small job of filming weddings and with help from a group of friends mostly just trained during filming (director Dinh Duy Hung is a childhood friend, artistic director Mrs.

The information site Daily Screen wrote: “Dinh Duy Hung has created beautiful scenes of Vietnam such as the quiet forest at night, the fast-flowing waterfall, the trees swaying in the wind or the image of golden cocoons. The camera angles are reasonable and rhythmic, focusing on the key details. Pham Thien An knows well what he needs to record to convey the story to the audience.”

The French-language Gavroche magazine of Thailand commented that it is never easy to appear a young filmmaker in a professional and prestigious playground like the Cannes Film Festival. However, the director of "Inside the golden cocoon", Pham Thien An, just 34 years old, has emerged as a phenomenon, one of the most beautiful discoveries of the Cannes Film Festival which has always been a playground for veteran filmmakers both in age and profession. The author believes that with Golden Lens, Pham Thien An promises to go far.

 

Born in 1962 in Da Nang, Tran Anh Hung He is a Vietnamese-born film director who has won the most international awards ever. He has affirmed his reputation in the European and international cinema, including many films about Vietnam such as "The Nam Xuong Woman" which was introduced at Cannes Film Critics Week in 1989, "The smell of green papaya" 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 contexts and themes such as "Xicyclo" (summer 1995) received acclaim from the public.

Pham Thien An He was born in 1989. He won the second prize in the "48 Hours Short Film Making" contest in 2014. In 2018, his short film "The Mute" was screened at the Palm Spring 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 and Be Ready" (Stay Awake, Be Ready).

VNA