Vietnamese LGBT-themed movie to premiere in Taiwan

The movie depicts the difficulties Van and his boyfriend Ian face when they visit Vietnam from the U.S. The couple are initially unable to come out about their relationship because of the taboo involved, especially in rural Vietnam. This leads to friction between them, too and Van has to explain the nature of their relationship to his mother.

The movie was well received by audience and critics in Vietnam when it was released in August.

Taiwanese poster for Goodbye Mother. Photo by Facebook/"Thua Me Con Di" Movie.

The movie is the directorial debut of Trinh Dinh Le Minh, who studied directing at the University of Texas, U.S. He had done a few short films earlier, and this is his first full length feature film.

As a representative for Vietnamese indie movies in 2019, "Goodbye Mother" was chosen to be shown in "A Window on Asian Cinema," an important category at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. It has also been shown in international film festivals in Hawaii and San Diego, the U.S.

Over the last few years, several Vietnamese movies have found their way to international audiences, including "Hai Phuong" (Furie), "Lat Mat 4" (Face Off: The Walking Guests), "Bac Kim Thang" (Home Sweet Home) and "That Son Tam Linh" (Kumanthong). 

Many local film producers have stated their intention and ambition to introduce Vietnamese culture to foreign moviegoers and increase their exposure as also ticket sales.