Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief After years of project markets and multiple rounds of Asian grant funding applications, Vietnamese horror-comedy “Don’t Cry Butterfly,” is confirmed to have its world premiere in competition at the Venice Critics Week.
Its backers have unveiled a first poster image. Written and directed by Duong Dieu Linh, the Hanoi-set film follows a housewife who uses voodoo to try and get her cheating husband fall back into love with her, but instead invites a mysterious presence into the house.
The film marks the feature film directorial debut of Duong Dieu Linh, and is also a companion piece to her award-winning short film series about middle-aged women.
These include “A Trip to Heaven,” “Sweet, Salty” and “Mother, Daughter, Dreams.” As with the shorts, “Butterfly” explores recurring themes of womanhood, family relations and cultural traditions, and is told through a quirky sense of humor and use of magical realism.
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