Herr Duong
Eleven-year-old Linh shows great grace under pressure. When her mother, who’s raising her kids on her own, has to return unexpectedly to Vietnam, Linh looks after her little sister Tien and the family restaurant on her own. Of course, no one is supposed to find out, not the school, not the neighbours, and definitely not child protective services. But Linh’s biggest problem has red hair, a telescope and a sly grin: Pauline. The daredevil from across the street has the whole neighbourhood under surveillance and can’t imagine anything cooler than a life without parents. When Pauline blackmails the Vietnamese sisters into starting a gang with her, the three girls set off on a daring adventure.
Van Hung
The movie chronicles a state-owned theatre troupe's struggle to survive both artistically and financially. The actors and actresses have to support themselves with odd jobs ranging from selling food and drinks on the streets to dancing at bars to doing commercials. Then comes a great play, written and directed by Teacher Nguyen Dinh, a veteran playwright, and former troupe mentor. The play promises to bring the group everything they need: inspiring work, state funding, festival prizes, and fame. But the rising tension between lead actress Kim Ha and her womanizing co-star Van Hung due to their troubled past relationship threatens to tear the play apart.
Kien
Hanoi comes across almost picture-perfect in director Tran Anh Hung's beautiful, elegiac tale about the lives and loves of three Vietnamese sisters. A mood characteristic of Hung's films is set early on with the vivid sounds of birds, insects and water and the way the lighting enhances the subtle use of color. They all combine to gem-like effect here.
Meister Dao
Um americano na Cidade de Ho Chi Minh no Vietnã, antiga Saigon, procura uma filha que ele gerou durante a guerra. Nessa busca o filme vai retratando indivíduos que triunfam sobre as adversidades, recuperando-se dos traumas, ansiosos por melhores tempos, bem como com a nostalgia por aqueles dias melhores antes das invasões americanas e francesas e outras invasões, materiais ou ideológicas. É um filme poético que tenta pintar uma imagem da cultura urbana submetida à ocidentalização.
Cabaret Man
Um jovem condutor de riquixá tem sua bicicleta furtada e fica endividado com a mulher que a alugava. Ela o manda para Poet, um gângster e cafetão calada, que por sua vez faz com que ele cometa atos de vandalismo e pequenos furtos para pagar sua dívida. Ele não sabe que Poet também persuadiu sua irmã a trabalhar como prostituta, atendendo clientes ricos que pagam em dólares americanos. Os dois irmãos são levados à corrupção sob o controle do mesmo homem.
