VIET AND NAM Discovery

In the unfathomable depths of a coal mine, laborers Nam (Pham Thanh Hai) and Viet (Dao Duy Bao Dinh) have found a boundless love. Wrapped in darkness, their bodies intertwine, soaking up their last moments together before they are drawn apart. Dreaming of a better life outside the mine, Nam readies himself for a dangerous journey, to be smuggled in a shipping container to Europe. But before he leaves, he must accompany his mother to find the remains of his father who never returned from the Vietnam War. Banned in its home country for its deadlocked and negative view of Vietnam, the film was nevertheless a highlight of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Filmmaker Trương Minh Quý’s languid romance mines Vietnam’s past and present to craft a boldly erotic vision shot in mesmerizing 16mm. –Josh Gardner