INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL
Thien must take responsibility when a family tragedy pushes him to search for his long lost brother in the mystical landscape of Vietnam. His journey, interrupted by enthralling dreams and re-awakened desires, leads him to question what is worth living for.
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A reluctant Thien must take the body of his sister-in-law, who died in a freak Motorcycle accident in Saigon, and her five-year-old son Dao, who miraculously survived the crash, to their hometown in the countryside.
Thien begins a search for his older brother who vanished years ago to hand Dao over to him. On the road, Thien has a series of sublime dreams and enthralling encounters that reignite suppressed memories and forbidden desires.
Deep in the labyrinth of these phantom pursuits, Thien battles with his own existential crisis of what is worth living for.
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Cannes Film Festival 2023 - Director’s Fortnight - Camera d’Or Winner
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Horizons
More to be announced soon! -
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Horizons
June 30 at 9am Drahomíra Cinema
July 1 at 7pm Cinema B
July 7 at 6pm Čas Cinema -
Critical PR
Jon Rushton: jon@jonrushton.comHannah Farr: hannah@hannah-farr.co.uk
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Director Pham Thien An Screenwriter Pham Thien An Cast Le Phong Vu, Nguyen Thi Truc Quynh, Nguyen Thinh, Vu Ngoc Manh Editor Pham Thien An Director of Photography Dinh Duy Hung Producers Jeremy Chua, Tran Van Thi Co-Producers Marie Dubas, Ka Nguyen, Adrià Monés Murlans Executive Producer Tran Van Thi Production Designer Pham Thien An Set Designer Nguyen Lam Quynh Han Sound Vuong Gia Bao, Xander Toh Colourist Mark Song Year 2023 Category Fiction Language Vietnamese Run time 179 mns Original title Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng Countries of production Vietnam, Singapore, France, Spain Production companies JK Film, Pōtocol Co-Production companies Deuxième Ligne Films, Zorba The Imaginary Friends Production, Fasten Films
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Thien An Pham is a film director and writer from Vietnam. After graduating in Information Technology, he realized his interest in cinematography and filmmaking by teaching himself how to shoot and edit films.
His short film The Mute has traveled to Palm Springs, Tampere and Uppsala film festivals. His latest short Stay Awake, Be Ready, won the Illy Prize at Directors’ Fortnight 2019 and was screened at numerous festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Locarno Open Doors, Busan and has won other awards.
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I was born and raised in a peaceful countryside town, where industrial crops production is the major occupation. In this region, most people wake up early in the morning and start their day by attending mass in church. At dusk, they gather to read scripture, pray and give gratitude to God after a long day of labour. There, they dedicate a silent time to their own spirituality.
As a young adult, I went to Saigon to learn and work. Without realizing, I embarked in a meaningless, tiresome, repetitive race to earn money and achieve success. Except that I came face to face with nothing but disappointment, confusion and insecurity. To escape, I felt the necessity of becoming more lucid and true to myself. It led me to struggle against the prejudices and empty temptations that dragged me into this endless circle in the first place.
With Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, I want to examine how a man’s physical journey to his hometown leads him to reconnect with his past. This homecoming reveals his internal conflict between a faith he neglected and a life which makes him deeply unsatisfied.
The journey reflects dimensions of the human soul, something that we constantly seek for but that can’t ever fully reach, something connected to our dreams, our passions and the inevitability of death.
I believe that we all look towards spiritually to overcome the hustle of superficial modern society.
Whether one believes in God or not, one can’t avoid questioning who one is, and who one is living for.
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“A supremely accomplished first feature. Its layered abundance of sensory detail casts an unshakable spell. A standout in this year’s Fortnight program and among the most auspicious debuts to pop at Cannes.” - VARIETY
"This is a remarkable debut feature; provocative, absorbing and mysterious. The entrancing debut feature from Pham Thien An becomes a quest for understanding and certainty in a Vietnam that seems unable to provide any clear answers. The journey itself is what matters in a film defined by visual splendour and a complex questioning of faith.” - SCREEN
“A hypnotizing Vietnamese drama goes on a quest for transcendence. Based on the quality of his debut feature, Pham has certainly found his own divine calling with filmmaking.” - INDIEWIRE
"A debut feature that is an instant masterpiece is rare, but Thien An Pham has achieved this elusive feat by being in full control of what is on screen. Pham’s remarkable debut is a mesmerizing film that will hypnotize audiences willing to invest both time and thought in a transcendent story that slowly morphs into something mystical. There’s a healthy dose of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a spoonful of Bi Gan, and even a few drops of Tsai Ming-liang. But Pham’s film is very much a thing of its own, both in execution and in mystery.” - ICS
"Directors' Fortnight once again honours itself with an exciting discovery, a legitimate contender for the Camera d'Or." - LIBERATION
"Vietnamese director Thien An Pham makes a confident, imposing debut with this study of a disaffected young man and the nephew suddenly put in his charge" - CINEUROPA
"A magical imagery and rarely seen glimpses into Vietnamese society" - FILMVERDICT
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