French newspapers praise Vietnamese – French filmmakers

The Le Monde daily said along with the main cast, Hung has made a mark with a highly artistic film about cuisine and the art of living. The film not only portrays a love story in the end of the 19th century but also celebrates the art of fine dining in the French style.

Meanwhile, the Le Figaro daily compared the portrayal of the characters in Hung’s “La Passion de Dodin Bouffant” to the performance of Catherine Deneuve in the iconic French film “Peau d’âne” or the outstanding performance of Stéphane Audran in the film “Festin de Babette” which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988.

Recalling Hung’s success with the film “The Scent of Green Papaya” (L’Odeur de la papaye verte), which earned him the Golden Camera award in 1993, the article’s author believed that “La passion de Dodin Bouffant” will surely satisfy food enthusiasts, who are abundant in France.

Born in 1962 in the central city of Da Nang, Hung has affirmed his reputation in European and international cinema. He has established himself as the Vietnamese-born film director to win the most international awards so far.

Meanwhile, the Libération daily compares the award-winning film “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” by Vietnamese writer/director Pham Thien An to a remarkable epic in the Vietnamese countryside. It said An’s debut feature film deserves the Golden Camera award thanks to its astonishing cinematography by a 34-year-old Vietnamese filmmaker who was trained through small wedding videography jobs and received assistance from a group of friends who were mostly self-taught in the process, including director Dinh Duy Hung.

The Daily Screen website wrote that An knows exactly what he needs to capture to convey the story to the audience.

The French-language magazine Gavroche in Thailand commented that it is never easy for a young filmmaker to make an appearance in a prestigious and professional event like the Cannes International Film Festival. However, An, at only 34 years old, has emerged as a phenomenon, one of the most beautiful discoveries of the event which has always been a platform for seasoned filmmakers in terms of age and experience.

An was born in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong in 1989. He has bagged a number of awards, including the 48 Hours Film Project in Ho Chi Minh City and top prize at the CJ Short Film Making Project, one of the top short film contests in Vietnam.

Source: VNA