A hypnotic and otherworldly first feature following a man’s mystical journey from the city to his remote home village. Populated with long and immersive takes that highlight the beauty of rural Vietnam.
A spellbinding tale of the soul’s unfathomable desire for the other-worldly, that does itself border on transcendental in its filmmaking.
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell 2023
Bên trong vỏ kén vàng
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After his sister-in-law dies in a traffic accident, Thien (Le Phong Vu) must take her body and his nephew from Saigon back to their hometown to bury her and search for his estranged brother. What follows is an epic, spiritual journey with the beautiful foggy landscape of rural Vietnam as the backdrop, which starkly contrasts with the bustling city setting of the first act. The film ambiguously moves ahead as Thien battles with formerly dead and buried memories of the past and ties up loose ends. Along his travels he delves deep into Vietnamese philosophies and meditates on impermanence and death as he meets with numerous people of different faiths and backgrounds.
Evoking the languid cinema of Asian masters Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Tsai Ming-liang, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell doesn’t rush anything with trancelike and immersive long takes of Vietnamese life and the animal kingdom that will lull you into a contemplative state. Pham Thien An’s debut rightfully won numerous awards, including the Caméra d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and is a shining example of the power of slow cinema.— Jordan Salomen