
Hanoi (VNA) – Two Vietnamese movies willcompete at the ASEAN International Film Festival (AIFFA) 2023.
“Memento Mori” by Marcus Manh Cuong Vu and “Demtoi ruc ro” (The brilliant darkness) by Aaron Toronto have beenselected to compete with 120 others at the festival which will be openedin Kuching, Malaysia, on August 2.
“Memento Mori” is a psychological, family filmwith the theme of near-death cancer patients, premiered in Vietnam in October2022. The context of the film is a residential area of poor working people inthe highlands with the story of a family who has a cancer patient. Van - a woman whoaccepts her cancer is in the final stage and finds many ways to connect andsend messages to her relatives including her biological father, husband and children - is determined to fulfill her wish to donate organs formedicine - a job that is not yet popular and subject to many prejudices in the society.

"Dem toi ruc ro” tells a storyabout domestic violence in Vietnam. It’sthe last night of a funeral. The grandfather has died leaving the family afortune – but the grandchildren soon find out that their father has not only lost theirentire inheritance gambling, but he’s also deep in debt to the mafia, and that nightthe gangsters will come to collect their debt. Their father must pay by sunrise, orelse there will be another funeral. As they suffer through their crucible, the family’s demons ofneglect and abuse all come out.
The biennial AIFFA began in 2013 to celebrateSoutheast Asian movies. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of the festival was made available online on a smallscale. Therefore, this year’s 6th edition is expected to be a big comeback, in terms of both scale and quality.

At the last AIFFA, Vietnamese film Dao Cua Dan Ngu Cu(The Way Station) by Hong Anh won three prizes including Best Picture, BestActor and Best Director of Photography.
A new feature of this year’s AIFFA is a short filmcompetition for university students with the theme of Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDG). AIFFA 2023 will grant 12 official awards for Southeast Asianfilmmakers.
The Gala Awards Nightwill take place on August 4, 2023./.