Owl and the Sparrow (2007)
"Cu va chim se se" (original title)

In modern-day Saigon, three lonely strangers form a unique family as a ten-year old orphan plays matchmaker to a zookeeper and a beautiful flight attendant.

Director:

Stephane Gauger

Writer:

Stephane Gauger

Stars:

Cat Ly, The Lu Le, Han Thi Pham

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Cat Ly	...	Lan
The Lu Le	...	Hai
Han Thi Pham	...	Thuy
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Trong Hai	...	The Captain
Pham Thi Han	...	Thuy
Nguyen Hau	...	Uncle Minh
Teresa Michelle Lee	...	Bartender
Hoang Long	...	Soup boy
Bui Thi Noan	...	Orphan director
Danvy Pham	...	Dancer
Thi Han Phan	...	Thuy
Nguyen Kim Phuong	...	Phuong
Le Nguyen Vu	...	The magician

Storyline

A child's resilience and the kindness of strangers. Thuy is 10, an orphan, working in her uncle's factory outside Saigon. He berates her constantly, so she runs away to Saigon. Over five days, we watch her survive on the streets selling flowers, while her uncle looks for her. She encounters Hai, a reserved zoo-keeper whose fiancée has jilted him. She also sells a flower to Lan, a flight attendant in the city for a layover, unlucky in love, who buys dinner for Thuy and offers her a place to stay that night. Thuy, who thinks of Lan as a sparrow and Hai as an owl, determines to bring them together. If she succeeds, then what; and what about her uncle?

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Plot Keywords:

saigon | orphan | stranger | flight attendant | zookeeper | 

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Taglines:

An orphan girl plays matchmaker to a flight attendant and lonely zoo keeper.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Vietnam USA

Language:

Vietnamese

Release Date:

2 August 2008 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Lovely Rose

Filming Locations:

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$6,640 (USA) (13 February 2009)

Gross:

$47,071 (USA) (3 April 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Annan Pictures, Annam Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Film had its world premier at 2007 Rotterdam Film Festival

User Reviews

influenced by nouvelle vague but all together something else refreshing

As I apprehensively waited these last few years to watch this film, I realize how unfair I've become based on fear of an all too familiar let down by another filmmaker, who, for the most part by and - as large as our tiny community is - create such derivative cinematic tripe of obvious contrivance that's usually riddled with unapologetic bias. After watching this film, I was not only blown away by the exquisite lighting and bold composition, but also was mesmerized by the beautiful story that seemed to be exploring the oftentimes insidious nature of power and the hero's who refuse to be victimized by it.

The Owl And The Sparrows wonderful characters triumph in the end and the subtle journalism of contemporary Vietnam demands the critical viewer to think beyond the happy ending, to listen for the barely audible sounds of change and to embrace what is inherently true.

Stephane Gauger should be added to the small list of great directors.