Mua he chieu thang dung (2000)

Director:

Anh Hung Tran

Writer:

Anh Hung Tran (writer)

Release Date:

24 May 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

With the brilliant Vietnamese summer as a setting Vertical Ray of the Sun is beautiful from beginning to end...

Plot Keywords:

Pregnant | Marriage | Pregnancy Scare | Cooking | Photographer

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tran Nu Yên-Khê	...	Lien
Nhu Quynh Nguyen	...	Suong
Le Khanh	...	Khanh
Quang Hai Ngo	...	Hai
Chu Hung	...	Quoc
Manh Cuong Tran	...	Kien
Le Tuan Anh	...	Tuan
Ngoc Dung Le	...	Huong
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doan Viet Ha
Long Le Vu
Anh Tuan
Do Thi Hai Yen

Also Known As:

À la verticale de l'été (France)
At the Height of Summer (International: English title)
Ein Sommer in Hanoi (Germany)
The Summer Solstice
Vertical Ray of the Sun (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some sex-related material.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Vietnam | France | Germany

Language:

Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | France:U | Hong Kong:IIA | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Company:

Canal+

Soundtrack:

Nang Thuy Tinh

Dreams do not only come during sleep...

This movie was one long, slow, blissful dream. I can hardly explain how much I have been moved by this movie. It exists beyond what is projected on screen, appeals to some of one's innermost sensations, feelings almost forgotten, like the simple pleasure of waking up in the morning, opening one's window, and breathing, deeply. Since I live in Paris, I was lucky enough to meet Yen (the interpret of Lien) and Hung (the director) and talk to them personally. And I understood where the movie's deeply heartfelt nature came from : simply, it was the expression of the greatest sincerity and sensitivity of all. Hung and Yen are both just like this movie, just like the Scent of Green Papaya too : fascinated with simplicity, and constantly looking for beauty in its simplest form, in the most obvious gestures of everyday life. Waking up had always been a routine for me. After seeing this movie, it has become a pleasure renewed every morning. Never before had I understood the worth of movements executed slowly, fluently, harmoniously, almost like a ceremony. A la Verticale de l'Eté is not an obvious movie, where everything is suddenly thrown at the spectator who needs do nothing but open his mouth and swallow whatever is shoved down his throat. This demanding film asks a total commitment, asks you to completely forget everything else than the movie. But if you let yourself sink into the movie, if you make that initial effort, this film will reward you with much more than mere images and temporary distraction. I truly believe that this movie will forever stay in the hearts of those who have seen it. I have seen it four times so far, and can't get fed up with it. There is one problem about this movie though : it makes it particularly hard to get back into the "real" world... That is probably why I keep going, again and again, to see this movie. I think I like to believe that life can be a dream sometimes.