HÀ NỘI — The Friends of Vietnam Heritage will present a screening of the Vietnamese movie Đời Cát (Sandy Lives) tonight.

The film from the late 1990s by director Nguyễn Thanh Vân addresses the long-lasting effects of war on people’s lives in a seaside village.

A man named Cảnh returns to his village after a 20 years’ absence, after the country’s reunification. His wife, Thoa, has been faithfully awaiting his return. However, could her hope of reuniting with her husband and spend their days together come true? An unpleasant reality is that he has remarried and fathered a child during his absence. Will Cảnh stay with Thoa or will he continue his new life with his second wife, Tâm?

Sandy Lives is full of subtleties and cultural insights, particularly for non-Vietnamese people. By reflecting on the intrinsic trauma of people, especially women in the aftermath of the war, Sandy Lives won the Golden Apricot trophy for best director, best actor and best actress in 2001. Earlier it won Asia Pacific International Festival in 2000 and a Special Mention at the Amiens Film Festival in France.

The 90-minute movie will be presented with English subtitles.

Another screening of the American movie The Whistleblower of My Lai by director Connie Field will be held on March 29.

The movie captures the artistic journey of the Kronos Quartet as they create an opera about the Mỹ Lai massacre, one of the darkest moments of the American War, with composer Jonathan Berger, tenor Rinde Eckert and Vietnamese musician Vân Anh Võ. 

It tells the story of Hugh Thompson, an army helicopter pilot who discovered and exposed the massacre. His refusal to remain silent about the massacre of 500 Vietnamese civilians by American troops forced the military to conduct an inquiry. 

Both screenings will take place from 7.30pm to 9pm at the Việt Nam Feature Films Studio, 4 Thụy Khuê Street, Tây Hồ District., for a suggested donation of VNĐ150,000. After the film, there will be a Q&A session with the directors Vân and Field. Contact  filmteam.fvh@gmail.com for more details. —  VNS