A mystical cinematic pilgrimage about people who won’t cocoon themselves even under the burden of their mere existence. Thien is returning from Saigon to the region of his birth, transporting to his hometown his orphaned nephew and the body of his sister-in-law, who died in an accident. The journey to this forgotten corner of Vietnam invigorates his faith yet also conjures up spectres from the past. Debuting director Thien An Pham behaves in a way similar to that of celebrated architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel. He steers the continuous images patiently and serenely, conscious of the fact that a work of art’s spatial arrangement itself may ultimately lead to a spiritual experience. A major screening event at Cannes, the film was included in Directors’ Fortnight and won the Caméra d’Or for best debut.

Singapore / Vietnam / France / Spain
2023, 178 min

Section: Horizons

Director: Thien An Pham
Screenplay: Thien An Pham
Dir. of Photography: Duy Hung Dinh
Music: Thien An Pham
Sound: Gia Bao Vuong, Xander Toh
Editor: Thien An Pham