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Phạm Ngọc Lân

Cu Li Never Cries (Cu Li Không Bao Gio Khóc)

Director Phạm Ngọc Lân Cast Minh Châu, Xuân An, Hà Phương
Edition 2024
93' - 2024 - Drama - Format: DCP - Dialogue: Vietnamese

The dry and meditative humour of Vietnamese director Phạm Ngọc Lân has earned comparisons to Hong Sang-soo and Aki Kaurismäki. In his bittersweet and enthralling feature debut Cu Li Never Cries, he examines the lives of three Vietnamese individuals (and a pygmy slow loris) through the lens of history. A dreamlike and fascinating endeavour, propelled by a distinctive tone and atmosphere and shot in black-and-white.

A widow inherits a small, slow loris - a primate species - from her late husband. Meanwhile, a young woman, the widow’s niece, is struggling to keep her daycare center afloat, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Her fiancé, on the other hand, is having second thoughts about their impending marriage. These are the three characters whose lives Vietnamese director Phạm Ngọc Lân delicately portrays in his bittersweet debut feature, Cu Li Never Cries. The film weaves a poignant story of identity and grief, set against the backdrop of Vietnam's turbulent history, whose echoes are still felt in the characters' present lives. Rather than relying heavily on plot, Cu Li Never Cries captivates with its dreamy, atmospheric tone, which is further enhanced by its stunning black-and-white cinematography - a choice born out of necessity due to a limited budget, yet one that adds depth and beauty to the film’s melancholic landscape.

Image gallery

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Credits

Directors

Phạm Ngọc Lân

Cast

Minh Châu, Xuân An, Hà Phương

Scenario

Phạm Ngọc Lân, Nghiêm Quỳnh Trang

Director of Photography

Linh Dan Nguyen Phan, Nguyen Vinh Phuc, Vu Hoang Trieu

Editors

Julie Béziau

Producers

Trần Thị Bích Ngọc, Nghiêm Quỳnh Trang

Production studios

Cadence Studio, Ân Nam Productions

More info

Dialogue

Vietnamese

Countries of production

Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Norway, France

Year

2024

Filmography

Phạm Ngọc Lân
The Story of Ones (short, 2012), Another City (short, 2016), Blessed Land (short, 2019), The Unseen River (short, 2021), Cu Li Never Cries (2024)

Technical Specs

Format
DCP