Bùi Bài Bình stars as Hòa in The Guava House, which will be presented by the Friends of Vietnam Heritage on April 28 at Hanoi Cinematheque. -- Photo wordpress.com |
On Thursday, April 28, the Friends of Vietnam Heritage will host a movie screening of Mùa Ổi (The Guava House) by director Đặng Nhật Minh at Hanoi Cinematheque, 22A Hai Bà Trưng Street.
The movie, made in 2000 based on Minh’s own novel, traces the changing values of society in Việt Nam through the eyes of a gentle, kind-hearted man, Hòa (played by Bùi Bài Bình). After a childhood accident left him mentally impaired, his sister looked after him for 30 years. Living as much in his beautiful memories as in the present, Hòa is drawn to return to his father’s house, now occupied by a businessman’s young daughter. They build a quiet friendship together, but are challenged by misunderstandings of others.
The film examines the complex layers of Vietnamese society – a Buddhist majority with a Government slowly embracing western and other commercial values. All these competing factors have their positive and negative aspects, which are seen through the eyes of Hòa.
After the screening, there will be a Q&A session with director-writer Minh.
The 100-minute film will be presented with English subtitles.