Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Director Nguyen Hoang Diep will present her second film, 1982, at the Busan International Film Festival in the Republic of Korea to compete in the Vision-Asia section from October 6 to 15.
“1982” is a story about a bankrupt filmmaker searching for her missing mother while uncovering long-buried family secrets.
The film is a return for Diep, whose first feature film in 2014, "Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung" (Flapping In The Middle of Nowhere), was screened at domestic and international film festivals and won several prizes.
Awards included the 2014 Venice International Film Critic’s Week in Italy, Best Director at the 16th International Film Festival Bratislava in Slovakia, the Jury’s Special Mention at the Festival of the Three Continents in Nantes, France and a Special Prize at the third Hanoi International Film Festival.
The lead actor in “1982” is Do Thi Hai Yen, who gained international recognition for her role as Phuong in “The Quiet American” 2002 remake directed by Phillip Noyce.
"By the third sentence of the pitch for ‘1982’, I had fallen in love with the project," Yen said.
"For the ‘1982’ girl, even as the world around her collapses, she must search for her mother and fulfil the responsibilities of an unwilling family breadwinner. I believe that the story of ‘1982’ tells the story of its time, and I'm eager to share it with audiences around the world."
Yen is also one of the film's producers.
"1982" was among several feature film projects at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market in 2025, a dynamic market created to assist film producers in securing funding.
This year’s Vision-Asia selection includes films from Vietnam, Japan, India, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong (China), the Philippines, Iran and Mongolia.
Filipino filmmaker Arvin Belarmino brings “Ria”, a folk-punk drama about a musician fighting to preserve her home and music, while Mongolia’s Sakhya Byamba, winner of Busan’s New Currents Award in 2013 for “Remote Control”, returns with “Zogsool”, a satire set around an isolated gas station during the early days of COVID-19.
Thai actor Inthira Charoenpura makes her directing debut with “Bua”, co-directed by feature newcomer Phensiri Klangsurin.
The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs from October 6 to 15, with the Asian Content and Film Market held from October 10 to 13./.
Vietnamese film to be screened at ASEAN Film Festival 2026 in Hong Kong
“The Sound of Crossing the Sea” is expected to help promote Vietnam’s distinctive cultural and artistic identity to international audiences and the ASEAN community in Hong Kong.
