The Scent of Green Papaya (1993) Mùi du du xanh (original title)

Director:

Tran Anh Hung

Writer:

Tran Anh Hung (written by)

Release Date:

28 January 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Plot:

A little girl, Mui, went to a house as a new servant. The mother still mourns the death of her daughter...

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Death | Servant | Love | Pianist

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Tran Nu Yên-Khê	...	Mui Age 20 (as Trân Nu Yên-Khê)
Man San Lu	...	Mui Age 10
Thi Loc Truong	...	La mère (as Truong Thi Lôc)
Anh Hoa Nguyen	...	La vieille Ti (as Nguyên 'Anh Hoa)
Hoa Hoi Vuong	...	Khuyen (as Vuong Hòa Hôi)
Ngoc Trung Tran	...	Le père
Vantha Talisman	...	Thu
Keo Souvannavong	...	Trung
Van Oanh Nguyen	...	Mr. Thuan
Gerard Neth	...	Tin
Nhat Do	...	Lam
Thi Hai Vo	...	La grand-mère
Thi Thanh Tra Nguyen	...	Mai
Lam Huy Bui	...	Le médecin
Xuan Thu Nguyen	...	L'antiquaire
Xuan Loi Phan	...	Musiciens
Xuan Dung Phan	...	Musiciens
Van Chung Le	...	Musiciens
Tho Phuong	...	Le coiffeur
Long Chau	...	Clientes
Thi Van Khanh Truong	...	Clientes
Hông Hanh Luguern	...	Clientes
Ba Hang Phan	...	Le livreur d'eau

Directed by
Tran Anh Hung

Writing credits
Tran Anh Hung		(written by)

Produced by
Adeline Lecallier	....	associate producer
Alain Rocca	....	associate producer
Christophe Rossignon	....	producer

Original Music by
Tiêt Tôn-Thât		(as Tôn-Thât Tiêt)

Cinematography by
Benoît Delhomme

Film Editing by
Nicole Dedieu
Jean-Pierre Roques

Casting by
Nicolas Cambois

Production Design by
Alain Nègre

Costume Design by
Jean-Philippe Abril

Makeup Department
Laurent Blanchard	....	hair stylist
Amélie Vinson-Rouffio	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Eric Dangremont	....	production manager
Pierre Dieulafait	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sophie Blondy	....	trainee assistant director
Caroline Broussaud	....	second assistant director
Nicolas Cambois	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jacques Bataille	....	assistant art director
Thierry Doerflinger	....	plasterer
Yvan Hart	....	plasterer
Christian Portal	....	property master
Claude Suné	....	set designer
Tran Nu Yên-Khê	....	art department trainee

Sound Department
Joël Faure	....	sound engineer: post-production
Joël Faure	....	sound mixer
Jean-Paul Gevaert	....	boom operator
Daniel Graisset	....	boom operator
Michel Guiffan	....	sound
Laurent Lévy	....	foley artist
François Waledisch	....	sound engineer: Ambiences Vietnam

Special Effects by
Michel Naudin	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Benoît Delhomme	....	lighting technician
Christophe Galvan	....	electrician
Philippe Roussilhe	....	first assistant camera
Xavier Tauveron	....	second assistant camera
Laurence Trémolet	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Isabelle Ternat	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Danielle Laffargue	....	costumer

Music Department
Vincent Bauer	....	musician: percussions
Frédérique Cambreling	....	musician: harp
Jeanne-Marie Conquer	....	musician: violin
Christophe Desjardins	....	musician: alto
Jacques Ghestem	....	musician: first violin
Geneviève Ibanez	....	musician: piano, "Chopin's Préludes no 23" and "Clair de lune"
Christophe Maudot	....	musician: synthesizer
Emmanuelle Ophéle	....	musician: flute
Jean-Guihen Queyras	....	musician: cello
An Tonthat	....	musician: jazz inprovisations (as An Ton That)

Other crew
Cléo Daran	....	sfpc coordinator
Guy Fabre	....	location manager
Patricia Petit	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Lazennec Films (presents) (as Les Productions Lazennec)
• SFP Cinema, La (co-production)
• La Sept Cinéma (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Procirep (in association with)
• Fondation GAN pour le Cinéma (financial support)
• Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (participation)
• Sacem (participation)

Distributors

• MKL Distribution (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• Arte Vidéo (2002) (France) (DVD)
• GoDigital Media Group (2012) (USA) (all media) (Digital)
• Artificial Eye (1994) (UK) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (1994) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Camera Film (1995) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Cine Company S.A. (1993) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cineplex (1994) (Colombia) (theatrical)
• Cooperative Nouveau Cinema (1993) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• First Look International (1994) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Les Films Séville (1993) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Lusomundo (1996) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Mundial Films (1994) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Národní Filmový Archiv (NFA) (1998) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Prokino Filmverleih (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sadfi Films (1993) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Capelight Pictures (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (1995) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Top Tape (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Air France  thanks
• Evian  thanks
• Giai Phong Film Studio  executive production
• Polaroid  thanks
• Radio France  recording studio: Stuido 107
• Shiseido Co. Ltd.  thanks

Also Known As:

"Mùi du du xanh" - France (original title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

France

Language:

Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:18 | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG | Australia:G | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Lazennec Films

Trivia:

Although the cast and crew of the film are mostly Vietnamese and the film takes place in Vietnam, it was actually filmed completely on a sound stage in Boulogne, France.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pirated Copy (2004)

Soundtrack:

Clair de lune, Suite Bergamasque

Buddhist Love Story

This stunningly beautiful film has a strong Buddhist theme, so it's unsurprising that many American viewers were perplexed by it even while captivated by its

beauty. It is the story of Mui, a poor servant girl ... except she is no ordinary servant girl, she is an Enlightened One. She lives totally in the here and now, and sees and appreciates everything (and so do we, thanks to the breathtaking color cinematography). She quietly goes through her ordinary life, giving every tiny moment all her attention and invisibly enriching the lives of all those around her, until near the end of the picture she is given off to a family friend whom, coincidentally, she has fancied since she was little. He is engaged to another woman, but one day he picks up a bust of Buddha, and stares at it with

recognition, realizing suddenly that the face and the smile of the Buddha are something he has been seeing every day, on Mui. He sees her for what she is,

and both their lives are transformed.

Even more astounding than the richness and beauty of this film, is the feat of finding two wonderful actresses 10 years apart, to play the same very unusual girl, both identically beautiful and graceful and having the Buddha smile.

Intoxicating and unforgettable.