Vietnamese film "Cu li khong bao cry" won Best Film at the 22nd Asian Film Festival

Director Pham Ngoc Lan (fourth from right) and the crew of "Coolies Never Cry". Photo: Provided by the film crew

The closing ceremony and award ceremony of AFF22 was held on the evening of April 16 at the Farnese Cinema - one of the prestigious cinema venues in Rome. On behalf of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy, Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha - Counselor of the Embassy - attended the ceremony and received this prestigious award to hand over to the film crew.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha happily shared: “I am very honored to receive this meaningful award on behalf of the Vietnamese Embassy. I would like to sincerely thank the Organizing Committee of the Asian Film Festival in Rome and the Jury for their tireless efforts in bringing Asian cinema - especially Vietnamese cinema - closer to the Italian public. We will present the award to the director and the film crew, who will surely be very happy and moved by the award even though they unfortunately did not attend in person."

Participating in this year's film festival are 36 feature films in the categories "Newcomer" (first director), non-competitive films and competitive films from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia.

Regarding the reason for awarding the film “Coolie Never Cries”, the Organizing Committee explained that the film is “an intimate portrait of a woman struggling with her past. Shot in black and white that seems to filter time, ‘Coolie Never Cries’ is a film that lasts forever: in the actress’s eyes, in her silent presence, in the suspended atmosphere, balanced between decadence and nostalgia, between absurdity and tenderness. This is a work that does not seek effect, but allows sadness to appear gracefully, almost modestly. And for this reason, it is memorable because it touches us where we are most fragile, without ever forcing it, as only true cinema can do”.

This award is a positive mark, contributing to affirming the increasingly strong and prominent development of Vietnamese cinema on the international cinema map, while opening up many new opportunities for Vietnamese works to reach global audiences, and at the same time being an important bridge contributing to actively consolidating and developing cultural and artistic exchanges between Vietnam and Italy, which are developing rapidly.

The Asian Film Festival in Italy is an event organized by the Robert Bresson Film Foundation since 2003, specializing in selecting the best new works of East Asia by both veteran directors and new and young directors. The festival is also an opportunity for guests from different countries, including directors, actors, producers to meet Italian producers and distributors to seek opportunities for co-production between Italy, Europe and East Asian countries. Vietnamese films have continuously participated in the festival in recent years and have been highly appreciated. In 2024, the Vietnamese film "Inside the Golden Cocoon" by director Pham Thien An was also awarded the best film award.

Source: http://baotintuc.vn/van-hoa/phim-viet-nam-gianh-giai-phim-hay-nhat-tai-lien-hoan-phim-chau-a-lan-thu-22-20250418061750640.htm