The White Silk Dress / Áo lụa Hà Đông (2006) - Repost

Nel 1954, a Ha Dong, in Vietnam, mentre l'occupazione francese è alle sue ultime battute, inizia la storia d'amore tra Gu, un uomo al servizio del governatore, e Dau, una ragazza molto giovane costretta a servire una terribile padrona. Durante una sommossa popolare, quando il governatore viene ucciso, Gu decide di cogliere l'occasione e, nel trambusto di quei giorni, fugge insieme a Dau. I due si rifugiano nel piccolo villaggio di Hoi An stabilendosi in una casetta in riva al mare dove formano la loro famiglia. Dodici anni dopo, però, la coppia ha due bambine ma non ha abbastanza soldi per mantenerle in maniera decorosa. Dau vorrebbe comprare alle sue figlie dei vestiti adatti per andare a scuola, sperando che non debbano mai essere deluse o rifiutate, perciò, senza dirlo a Gu, accetta da un anziano signore della zona un lavoro part-time come infermiera. Quando Gu scopre dove va ogni giorno sua moglie, scoppia una vera e propria crisi ma la nuova terribile guerra sta iniziando…

Winner of the Audience Award at the Pusan International Film Festival, The White Silk Dress is a magnificent drama that portrays how one poor and oppressed family manages to maintain its pride and dignity and to overcome adversities. Hoi An, Vietnam in the 1950s. Dau and Gu, who have slaved away for a landlord all their lives, finally are able start a family. However, they get caught within the unrelenting cycle of war and poverty and face numerous tragedies. Even after losing everything, they still maintain their faith in the Ao Dai-a symbol of the lofty and pure willpower of Vietnamese women-that Dau has left behind. Set against a background of the deep-rooted traditional culture, Huynh Luu's beautiful film not only captures the story of a family, the sacrifice of a mother or one couple's passionate love story, but also illustrates the spirit of a country and of a nation determined to keep their traditions alive. It is a sublime story that speaks, in particular, to the strength and resilience of women caught in the grips of poverty. The latest news is that this movie will represent Vietnam to compete as foreign language feature entry in Oscar 2008, pending registration.

An impoverished wife and mother desperate to provide her daughters with the ao dais' (a traditional tunic slit down the sides and worn over pants) required to attend school takes on a most non-traditional part-time job in director Huynh Luu's melancholy period drama. French colonial rule on Vietnam is on the verge of collapse, and hunchback servant Gu (Nguyen Khanh Quoc), who works for the puppet governor, longs to be wed servant girl Dau (Trong Anh Ngoc). Though the pair lacks the traditional means to marry, Gu bequeaths his love with the ao dai he has carried since childhood and the pair forms a faithful union. When Gu's master is assassinated, the pair quickly flees and relocates to the seaside village of Hoi An. Twelve years later Gu and Dau have started a family. Though the couple barely makes enough money to sustain themselves, much less two daughters, Dau is determined to ensure that her girls have proper ao dai's by the time they reach school age. In order to raise the finds needed to make her dream a reality, Dau accepts a part time position as a wet nurse to a wealthy old man without telling her husband. Later, when Gu finds out what his wife has been doing to earn money and the bombs fall ever closer to their home, rising tensions in the once happy household mirror an encroaching threat that will soon lead to tragedy for all involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide