Children of the Mist
Film | Free
By Hà Lệ Diễm (Vietnam)
| Date & Time | 27 July 8pm After the screening, there will be an in-person sharing and Q&A session with Hà Lệ Diễm (1 hour) |
| Duration | 92 minutes |
| Venue | Digital Penang Event Hall Indoor |
| Age Limit | All ages. |
| Language | The film will be in Hmong and Vietnamese with English subtitles. |
Description
Director: Hà Lệ Diễm
Country: Vietnam
2021, Feature Documentary, 92 minutes
Language: Hmong and Vietnamese with English subtitles
Age Suitability: All ages.
In the misty mountains of a remote North Vietnamese Hmong community, 12-year-old girl Di harbours strong ambitions within her. Yet, the cultural tradition of bride kidnapping threatens these aspirations.
As puberty hits, her personality shifts. Once carefree, she turns into an impetuous teenager constantly arguing with her mother over relationships she is not mature enough to handle. On Lunar New Year’s Eve, when Di’s parents come back home after celebrating, the house is silent: Di has disappeared.
This documentary focuses on a girl torn between archaic traditions and modern freedom. It is a study of girlhood, an exploration of generational trauma and the old customs that trap the younger generation.
Media Quotes
“[Diễm handles] delicate subject matter (not to mention vulnerable human subjects) with a frankness that stops short of button-pushing.” – Variety
“This is not a story of villains and victims: [Diễm] finds a measure of sympathy for all parties in this situation, variously torn between life as they’ve always known it and the onset of more contemporary gender politics that are at once freeing and disorienting.” – Variety
Director
Hà Lệ Diễm
Born into the Tay ethnic group in Northeast Vietnam, Hà Lệ Diễm left her hometown at age 18 to study Journalism. Children of the Mist is her first feature documentary film project, winning awards at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Hong Kong International Film Festival, Cork International Film Festival, among others. She is a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Grantee.
moderator
Chen Yih Wen
Chen Yih Wen is a Malaysian documentary filmmaker and journalist, having worked on international documentaries for Netflix, BBC, History Channel, Crime & Investigation Network, Business Insider and CNA.
She is currently working on her second feature documentary about marginalised communities in Malaysia, supported by the Hot Docs CrossCurrents Fund.
Teaser
Children of the Mist won the Award for Best Directing and the First Appearance Award – Special Mention in 2021 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), the world’s largest documentary film festival. This documentary authentically captures the traditional practice of “bride kidnapping”, prevalent among the Hmong people in the northern mountainous regions of Vietnam.
Photos
