OTTAWA — Vietnamese film, Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), is being screened at the ongoing ASEAN Film Festival 2017 in Ottawa.

Based on the novel by best-selling author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh, the Vietnamese movie is set in a small village in the mid-1980s, and tells the story of two young brothers who share everything, but compete for the affection of the same girl.

The screenings are part of the activities being held to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-Canada Dialogue Relations, as well as Canada’s 150th birthday, held by the ASEAN Committee in Ottawa.

The ASEAN Film Festival 2017, being held from September 12 to 26, aims to give the Canadian people an insight into the land, people and culture of the ASEAN and Southeast Asian countries, thus increasing their friendship, cooperation and connectivity.

Other films from ASEAN countries also being screened at the event included Yasmine (Brunei), Laskar Pelangi/The Rainbow Troops (Indonesia), Kayan Beauties (Myanmar) and Ruteri Gunung Ledang – A Legendary Love Story (Malaysia), as well as Sonata (the Philippines) and The Teacher’s Diary (Thailand).

According to the Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada, Nguyễn Đức Hòa, I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass gives the audience a peace of mind and reminds them of a carefree childhood.

Released in 2015, the film, directed by Victor Vũ, was a cinematic phenomenon at the domestic box office, earning over VNĐ80 billion (US$3.6 million).

It was listed among the top 10 outstanding cultural events in Việt Nam and won the Bông Sen Vàng (Golden Lotus) prize at the 19th Vietnam Film Festival in 2015.

It was the only representative from Việt Nam at the TIFF Kids International Film Festival – part of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, and bagged the best film award at the second Silk Road International Film Festival and the Golden Kite at the Vietnam Film Festival 2015.

Hong Kong and Amsterdam-based Fortissimo Films, which handled the international sales for the film, introduced the film at the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival. The film was also screened at the American Film Market in Los Angeles in November 2015 and, most recently, in Japan on August 19, 2017. — VNS