Vietnamese director Duong Dieu Linh’s debut feature wins 2 awards at Venice Film Festival

Vietnamese director Duong Dieu Linh (C) and the crew of "Don’t Cry Butterfly" accept the awards at the International Critics’ Week of this year’s Venice Film Festival on Sep. 6, 2024. Photo courtesy of the film crew

The film crew received the awards on Friday, with the Best Film award carrying a monetary prize of 10,000 euros (US$11,080).

"Just days before the global premiere [of "Don’t Cry Butterfly"] at the Venice Film Festival, an actor asked me: ‘How does it feel to live in your dream of cinema?’" Linh remarked during the event. "I have been living that dream for the past five years while collaborating with an incredible team."

Vietnamese Meritorious Artist Tu Oanh, who portrayed the film’s lead female character, expressed her astonishment at the accolades.

"I was overwhelmed as I went up to receive the award with the team," she commented.

Vietnamese director Duong Dieu Linh. Photo courtesy of Linh

The film was met with extended applause at its screening at the festival on Sep. 3, and received positive reviews from experts.

"What never falters is Linh’s prowess as a creator of indelible images right away with her debut feature (though following a few shorts), making her another very exciting artist to watch amidst a real boom period for Vietnamese cinema on the international stage," Josh Slater-Williams of IndieWire observed.

"‘Don’t Cry Butterfly’ is an energetically confounding mix of genres – comedy, fantasy and a touch of horror," Wendy Ide from Screen International noted.

The film is a joint production between companies in Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Set in Hanoi, it follows a middle-aged woman, played by Tu Oanh, who discovers her husband’s infidelity and turns to witchcraft to regain his love, only to accidentally unleash a mysterious supernatural force within their home.

Following its competition at the Venice Film Festival, "Don’t Cry Butterfly" will participate in the Toronto Film Festival in Canada and the Busan Film Festival in South Korea.

The project evolved from several of Linh’s short films, including "Me, Con Gai, Nhung Giac Mo" (Mother, Daughter, Dreams), "Ngot, Man" (Sweet, Salty), and "Thien Duong Goi Ten" (Heaven Calls Your Name), all of which delve into themes of femininity, family dynamics, and cultural heritage through female-centric narratives.

The Venice Film Festival, the oldest of its kind in Europe, was first held in 1932. This year marks the 81st edition, running from Aug. 28 to Sep. 7, with French actress Isabelle Huppert serving as jury president.

The International Critics’ Week, established in 1984, is a parallel segment of the festival featuring seven debut films in competition. It is organized by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Critics (SNCCI) in partnership with the Venice Biennale.

This section has unveiled numerous international talents, including American director Kenneth Lonergan and French director Olivier Assayas. Prior to "Don’t Cry Butterfly," Vietnamese filmmaker Nguyen Hoang Diep’s "Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung" (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere) was featured in this section in 2014.

Linh, aged 34 and a native of Hanoi, now resides in Singapore. Her short film "Me, Con Gai, Nhung Giac Mo" was previously in competition at South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival in 2018.