“Visually, The Third Wife comes off as a wonderful painting.
Director of Photography Chananun Chotrungroj beautifully captures
rural Vietnam, and the sets are authentically amazing.”
— Alan Ng, Film Threat
“Winner of prizes at both the San Sebastian and Toronto festivals,
this is the rare debut that derives its freshness not from inexperience
but from a balance between compassion and restraint that
most filmmakers take decades to achieve.”
— Jessica Kiang, Variety
Opening May 15 at Film Forum in New York City;
Addt’l Markets Include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Diego and More
SYNOPSIS
In the late 19th century in rural Vietnam, fourteen-year-old May is given away in an arranged marriage and becomes the third wife to her older husband. May learns that she can gain status and security if she gives birth to a male child. This becomes a real possibility when she gets pregnant. However, her path is fraught with danger when May starts to develop an attraction for Xuan, the second wife. As May observes the unfolding tragedy of forbidden love and its devastating consequences, she must make a choice, to either carry on in silence and safety, or forge a way towards personal freedom.
With collaboration from artistic advisor Trần Anh Hùng (director of the mesmerizing The Scent of Green Papaya), Ash Mayfair’s debut feature signals the emergence of a young female director-writer whose aesthetic sensibilities, cinematic language and extraordinary ability to illuminate the past will captivate audiences.
SELECT THEATRICAL DATES (UPDATED)
5/24: Laemmle Royal – LA
5/24: Laemmle Playhouse -Pasadena, CA
5/24: Regency Westminster, CA
5/24: Regal Cinemas Garden Grove 16 – Garden Grove, CA
5/31: 4-Star Cinema – San Francisco, CA
5/31: Pruneyard Cinemas – San Jose, CA
5/31: Cinemark Memorial City – Houston, TX
5/31: Gene Siskel Film Center – Chicago, IL
6/7: Rialto Elmwood- Berkeley, CA
6/7: Real Art Ways – Hartford, CT
6/7: The Living Room – Portland, OR
6/7: The Living Room – Boca Raton, FL
6/7: The Broad – New Orleans, LA
6/7: Ross Media Arts Center – Lincoln, NE
6/14: The Flicks – Boise, ID
6/19: The Palace Theater – Chattanooga, TN
6/21: Landmark Ken – San Diego, CA
6/25-29: Dairy Center for the Arts – Boulder, CO
6/28: Landmark E Street – Washington, D.C.
6/28: Landmark Lagoon – Minneapolis, MN
7/5: Landmark Kendall Square – Boston, MA
7/12: Landmark Theater – Denver, CO
7/12: Landmark Ritz at Bourse – Philadelphia, PA
7/26-28: SIFF Uptown – Seattle, WA
THE THIRD WIFE (2018)
Written/Directed by: Ash Mayfair
Cast: Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Nguyen Phuong Tra My, Mai Thu Huong Maya,
Le Vu Long, Nguyen Nhu Quynh
Produced by: Trần Thị Bích Ngọc, Ash Mayfair
Executive Producers: Đặng Thị Hoàng Yến, Đặng Thành Tâm
Cinematography by: Chananun Chotrungroj
RT: 94 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: Vietnamese with English Subtitles
