“[A]n empathetic and moving portrait of a fractured childhood….”
— Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia
“Diem’s intimate access and sensitive approach, together with editor
Swann Dubus’ keen eye for texture and detail, make for a
compelling and eye-opening drama.”
— Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily
SYNOPSIS
In a village hidden in the mist-shrouded Northwest Vietnamese mountains resides an indigenous Hmong community, home to 12-year-old Di, part of the first generation of her people with access to formal education. A free spirit, Di happily recounts her experiences to Vietnamese filmmaker Hà Lệ Diễm, who planted herself within Di’s family over the course of three years to document this unique coming of age. As Di grows older, her carefree childhood gives way to an impulsive and sensitive adolescence, a dangerous temperament for what will happen next; in this insular community, girls must still endure the controversial but accepted tradition of “bride kidnapping.” One night, when the young girl’s parents return home from celebrating the Lunar New Year, they are shocked to find their house is silent: Di has disappeared.
Winner of the Best Directing award at IDFA, and Best International Film at DocAviv, Diễm’s documentary debut is a tender portrait of a community on the cusp between tradition and modernity, and one girl tragically stuck in the middle.
SELECT AWARDS
IDFA | Award for Best Directing & First Appearance Award, Special Mention
Cinema du Reel | Clarens Prize for Humanist Documentary Filmmaking
DocAviv | Best International Film
DOXA Documentary Film Festival | Winner, Feature Documentary Award
Guanajuato Int’l FF | Winner, Festival Prize, Best Int’l Doc Feature
Hong Kong Int’l FF | Winner, Jury Prize
Taiwan Int’l Documentary FF | Winner, Next Generation Award
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