THE GIRL ON THE RIVER (CÔ GÁI TRÊN SÔNG)
Director: Đặng Nhật Minh. 100 minutes. VIETNAM. 1987. Language: VIETNAMESE. colour. 2K restoration
Based on a poem by Tố Hữu, a famous Vietnamese poet, The Girl on the River investigates the gap between ideals and reality — what happens after the revolution has been won and people start to grapple with the things or people they have to associate with to survive during the war. Through the figures of Nguyệt (Minh Châu), the titular girl on the river; Liên (Hà Xuyên), the journalist; and Thu (Anh Dũng), the Viet Cong officer, Đặng Nhật Minh gives voice to the truth that not many were willing to face or utter out loud. A monumental achievement in Vietnamese cinema by one of the finest Vietnamese directors.
(NOTES BY Trà My Nguyễn Hoàng)
Vietnam Film Institute
