Bi, Don't Be Afraid (2010)
"Bi, dung so!" (original title)

In an old house in Hanoi, Bi, a 6-year-old child lives with his parents, his aunt and their cook. His favorite playgrounds are an ice factory and the wild grass along the river. After being... See full summary »

Director:

Dang Di Phan

Writer:

Dang Di Phan

Stars:

Thanh Minh Phan, Thi Kieu Trinh Nguyen, Ha Phong Nguyen

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Thanh Minh Phan	...	Bi
Thi Kieu Trinh Nguyen	...	The mother
Ha Phong Nguyen	...	The father
Thuy Hoa	...	The aunt
Tran Tien	...	The grandfather
Mai Chau	...	The nanny
Phuong Thao Hoang	...	The hairdresser
Huynh Anh Lê	...	The student
Kim Long Thach	...	The Aunt's Fiance
Hoang Ha Pham	...	An, Bi's friend

Storyline

In an old house in Hanoi, Bi, a 6-year-old child lives with his parents, his aunt and their cook. His favorite playgrounds are an ice factory and the wild grass along the river. After being absent for years, his grandfather, seriously ill, reappears and settles at their house. While Bi gets closer to his grandfather, his father tries to avoid any contact with his family. Every night, he gets drunk and goes and see his masseuse, for whom he feels a quiet strong desire. Bi's mother turns a blind eye on it. The aunt, still single, meets a 16-year-old young boy in the bus. Her attraction to him moves her deeply.

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Plot Keywords:

ice | hanoi | rain | little boy | contraction in title | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Vietnam France Germany

Language:

Vietnamese

Release Date:

14 March 2012 (France)

Also Known As:

Bi, Don't Be Afraid

Company Credits

Production Co:

Acrobates Film, arte France Cinéma, Sudest-Dongnam

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

You don't have to be Vietnamese - but it would probably help

If the object of this film was to introduce a bunch of themes and not develop any of them, then it was a success. There are so many loose threads that one could give almost any interpretation as to the feelings, motives, actions, etc. of the characters.

I like the title which contributes to the mystery of the film. I cannot fathom how the title relates to the film at all - except there is a character by the name of Bi. After sitting through to the end, I am left with why, why, and more whys. The biggest why is why I held out to the very end - actually, I thought there might be some resolution or the tying up of a few threads. The ending brought another why to me. It seemed to me with the way the story progressed, the logic of the ending as it was - did not complete a story. It could have easily continued or ended at any number of earlier junctures.

Knowing the language and culture could possibly contribute to a better enjoyment of this film, but you would have a hard time convincing me of that.