'Ky Nam Restaurant' - silent feelings that don't need to be expressed in words

Quan Ky Nam is a movie marking the return of director Leon Le since the great success with Song Lang in 2018, and is also the second collaboration of the trio: Leon Le (director, screenwriter) - writer Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc (co-screenwriter) - actor Lien Binh Phat (male lead).

Choosing a rare path in today's vibrant cultural and artistic life, Quan Ky Nam was shot entirely on 35mm film. This choice means being ready to face many difficulties and complications in terms of cost, technique and post-production, especially in the context of Vietnam no longer having specialized facilities. 10 years ago, the film Nguoi Tro Ve by director Dang Thai Huyen was also shot on 35mm film, at that time the film industry recognized that it could be the last 35mm film in Vietnam.

Do Thi Hai Yen returns to the big screen after nearly 10 years of absence.

Photo: Party Committee

However, Leon Le did not let that happen. He actually wanted to film Song Lang on film, but at that time, the production budget for his first film did not allow it, so he had to put his beautiful dream aside. After a long time of nurturing and gestating, Quan Ky Nam - which finished filming at the end of 2023 and officially released in theaters from November 27, 2025 - has realized Leon Le's dream of making a film.

Do Thi Hai Yen and Lien Binh Phat in the movie Quan Ky Nam

Photo: Party Committee

Quan Ky Nam is set in Ho Chi Minh City in the 1980s, focusing on the silent, subtle connection between two people, two worlds , sharing a corner of Saigon. That is Ky Nam (played by Do Thi Hai Yen) - a silent, lonely woman from the North, 54, carrying within her unspeakable losses, and Khang (played by Lien Binh Phat) - a young translator who has just moved to the city to take up a new job, embracing his own aspirations. That connection is set in a social context with many barriers, prejudices and hurts, so that intimate glances also become fragile, not only because of personal hesitation but also because of the era they are living and loving...

Tran The Manh as Su is an interesting new discovery of Leon Le.

Photo: Party Committee

Leon Le's perfectionism, sophistication and sensitivity to every small detail have made the cinematic experience with Quan Ky Nam not simply a story to be moved and lingered. Entering the world of Quan Ky Nam , we are like entering a museum of an old Saigon, with spaces, objects, habits, the way people interact with each other... extremely familiar in the memories of the generation before 8X; there is also a museum of silent, wistful moments filled with feelings, silent feelings that do not need to be expressed in words, making the viewer pay attention, lean in and linger; there is also a museum of works of art that the filmmakers have greatly appreciated: a song, a poem, a movie that had to stop halfway through, a classic book, a short story whose main character did not like the ending, and a poet who wandered the streets...

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Vietnamese cinema market this year, the quiet elegance of Quan Ky Nam is a gift for anyone who loves art in general and cinema in particular.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/quan-ky-nam-nhung-y-tinh-tham-lang-khong-can-to-thanh-loi-185251127213850682.htm