The Friends of Vietnam Heritage’s FVH Film Night will screen the Vietnamese classical movie Làng Vũ Ðại Ngày Ấy (The Old days of Vũ Ðại Village) at the Việt Nam Feature Films studio (VFS) on May 25.

Produced in 1982, the film is a truthful adaptation of peasants’ miserable lives before the August Revolution in 1945. It is based on three novels written by Nam Cao: Sống Mòn (Corroded life), Chí Phèo and Lão Hạc (Old Man Hạc). The film was a breakthrough for director Phạm Văn Khoa. He was brave enough to include a ‘sensitive’ element in the film, and it was retained once it was deemed essential the the work’s emotion and spirit.

In the film, the director allowed the main character, a teacher called Thứ (a rural intellectual) to witness his neighbour’s daily tragedies and hardships and get worn down by the mundane aspects of life. These included the personal tragedy of Hạc, who was a very poor, lonely old man. All he had for company was his dog, Vàng, before he sold him to a butcher. The film also features a unique love story between an ugly woman – Thị Nở and Chí Phèo – an all-time-drunken and dishonest guy.

The black-and-white film will be screened from 7.30-9pm with English subtitles, followed by a Q&A section. VFS is at 4 Thụy Khuê Street, Tây Hồ District.  Donation: VNĐ150,000. Limit: 50 people. Contact: Filmteam.fvh@gmail.com. — VNS