Busan International Film Festival screens two Vietnamese movies

“Memento Mori: Water” and “If Wood Could Cry, It Would Cry Blood” will represent Vietnam at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)’s Asian Project Market (APM).

“Memento Mori: Water” is a film directed by Marcus Manh Cuong Vu and producers Nguyen Hoang Diep and Nguyen Trinh Hoan. The movie tells the story of Ha, a mother who accompanies her son Nam who has bone cancer. The event opened for Ha the door to humanity, sympathy, sharing and enlightenment.

The film belongs to a trilogy of works with the common name Memento Mori, scripted by Vu, inspired by a true story in the book “Diem Den Cua Cuoc Doi” (The Destination Of Life) by author Dang Hoang Giang. Another work in the trilogy – “Memento Mori: Earth” – is awaiting post-production, and is expected to be released next year.

The director said he was happy with the project’s selection for the event. He hopes the next instalment would be filmed soon since the child actors have been growing fast since being cast in 2019.

“If Wood Could Cry, It Would Cry Blood” is the debut movie of young director Nguyen Phan Linh Dan. She worked as the director of photography for “Bi Mat Cua Gio” (The Secret of the Wind) in 2020 – a film directed by her father, director Nguyen Phan Quang Binh, which was screened at BIFF in the past.

Organizers said the selected films will be screened from Oct. 12 to 14.

Film directors will have to face a panel of international producers and investors to receive their cash prizes.

The “Tick It” film project by Tran Thanh Huy, director of award-winning film “Rom”, one of the two grand prize winners at BIFF 2019, received a prize of $10,000 at APM 2020.

APM 2021 said it received 429 film submissions and picked 26 final selections from 15 different countries and territories, including two movies from Vietnam.

By Tam Ky – VnExpress.net – August 10, 2021