Stories told along the river: a woman reunites with her ex-lover at a hydroelectric plant; meanwhile, a young man travels downstream to a temple in search of a cure for his insomnia.
The Unseen River
A film by
“By using extreme wide shots Lân underlines the vulnerability of the characters in these overwhelming places. He also makes a point of drawing his audience into their world of thought by following up those initial shots with quirky camera movements that deploy a slow zoom-in. This quirkiness may seem artificial, but here it feels natural, as if the camera is discovering its very own way of breathing underwater.”
“By using extreme wide shots Lân underlines the vulnerability of the characters in these overwhelming places. He also makes a point of drawing his audience into their world of thought by following up those initial shots with quirky camera movements that deploy a slow zoom-in. This quirkiness may seem artificial, but here it feels natural, as if the camera is discovering its very own way of breathing underwater.”
Phạm Ngọc Lân
Biography
Phạm Ngọc Lân was born and raised in Hanoi. He rarely left his city (both in reality and in his imagination) until college. Lân graduated with a degree in urban planning and self-taught filmmaking at 27. His short films included Another City (Berlinale 66th); Blessed Land (69th) and The Unseen River (Locarno 74th). Cu Li Never Cries is his debut feature.
Filmography
- Cu Li Never Cries – 2024 – 92′
- Giòng Sông Không Nhìn Thấy / The Unseen River – 2020 – 23’
- Một Khu Đất Tốt / Blessed Land – 2019 – 19’
- Another City / Thành Phố Khác – 2016 – 25’
- The Story of Ones I Chuyện Mọi Nhà – 2011 – 11’
