The 2023 Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 16 to 27 (local time) in Cannes, France. Director Tran Anh Hung was honored for his work "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" (also known as The Pot-au-Feu), which he directed and wrote. The work received a 7-minute standing ovation and many compliments for the sophistication and class in each frame.
Director Tran Anh Hung (left) receives an award at Cannes 2023. Photo: REUTERS
Sophisticated and classy
When being honored with the award for "Best Director", Tran Anh Hung thanked the two main actors in the film, Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. He also thanked his wife - Mrs. Tran Nu Yen Khe, who has always accompanied him in film projects. He called her the "chef" in his career.
The work "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" is adapted from the novel "The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet" (1924) by Marcel Rouff. Set in the late 19th century, the film revolves around the love story of chef Eugenie (played by Juliette Binoche) and culinary expert Dodin Bouffant (played by Benoît Magimel). Dodin Bouffant is a wealthy, gourmet man with a strong passion for cuisine. Meanwhile, Eugenie is a talented chef who always completes difficult requests from Dodin Bouffant. From the harmony of their passion for cuisine, together for many years, the two gradually weave a romantic story.
The film has a simple plot but the way it is told is impressive, calm, slow but very beautiful, very poetic. Cuisine is elevated in the film through the camera angle, describing to the audience the beauty, deliciousness of the dish and the contemplative layers of meaning in it. When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" received a 7-minute standing ovation. Damon Wise - a writer for Deadline commented that the work was successful as a celebration of the senses in the culinary experience. Peter Bradshaw - a writer for the Guardian (UK) - said: "The film has charm, sophistication and the two main actors and actresses perfectly portray their roles. As a film about cuisine, "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" has a lot to recommend and I find it attractive and worth watching again". Hollywood Reporter writer Jordan Mintzer praised: "The work depicts the delicious feeling from the food, the beauty, the combination of culinary masterpieces and the emotional love story of middle age. The film is slow but skillful, worth watching."
Meanwhile, Screen Daily writer Tim Grierson wrote that Tran Anh Hung's delicate film takes the audience to the contemplations behind the dishes and the love story told. That is, no matter how delicious a meal is, it only lasts for a moment, and a love affair is similar, inevitably expiring. However, while the film ends gently with sadness, what comforts the audience will be the view that like the delicious food, the memories of a romantic love will last forever in everyone's heart.
A scene from the film “La Passion de Dodin Bousfant”. Photo: CURIOSA FILMS
Back to the glory
When asked why he filmed the cooking scene for 40 minutes of the film, describing it in detail, which is rare even in cooking shows. Director Tran Anh Hung shared that the goal was to show something that people had never seen before but in a very normal way, without adding any spectacular elements. He thought that if the cooking scene was filmed as a choreography on screen, it would be magnificent, like a ballet. The crew ate all the food used for each scene and those were the best meals on set.
Tran Anh Hung is a familiar name in Vietnamese cinema and is also not unfamiliar to world cinema. He was born in Vietnam in 1962, then followed his family to France. In France, he studied at the École Louis-Lumière Film School and completed his graduation thesis in 1987 with a short film related to Vietnamese culture called "Nguoi Thieu Phu Nam Xuong". He wrote the film script inspired by the work "Truyen Ky Man Luc" by Nguyen Du.
After "The Young Woman of Nam Xuong", he made another short film, "Hon Vong Phu" before making the feature film "Mui Du Xanh" in 1993. The work "Mui Du Xanh" brought great fame to Tran Anh Hung. He received the "Camera d'Or" award at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and the "César de la meilleure première œuvre" award at the César Awards of the French Academy of Cinematography and Arts.
The film was also nominated for the 66th Academy Awards in the category of "Best Foreign Language Film". This is the only Vietnamese-language film to date that has been nominated for the most prestigious film award on the planet, the Oscar. The film tells the story of a little girl named Mui, from the time she was a member of a family that sold cloth in Saigon in the 1950s until she became a young woman and fell in love with a pianist.
Successful with his first work, Tran Anh Hung made the film "Cyclo" with the participation of Tony Leung. Tran Anh Hung was honored with the "Golden Lion" award for best film at the 1995 Venice Film Festival at the age of 33. He was also one of the youngest directors to win the prestigious award at this festival. Tran Anh Hung's next works include: "Vertical Summer", "And You Came in the Rain", "Norwegian Wood", "Eternal".
Among the 9 works he has produced so far, Tran Anh Hung has made his own mark with a filmmaking style that does not follow the traditional path but always seeks to tell stories with a new cinematic language. He had many successes with his early works such as "The Scent of Green Papaya" and "Cyclo" but then encountered mixed opinions, more criticism than praise with "And I Came in the Rain" and "Norwegian Wood".
Tran Anh Hung has made a sublime comeback with "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" and has achieved historic results for his career. This achievement is largely due to Tran Nu Yen Khe, the director's muse, companion and devoted wife.
After the film "Vertical Summer", Tran Anh Hung did not make Vietnamese films, but he often returned to Vietnam to teach about cinema and sponsor young, talented filmmakers. As soon as the news of Tran Anh Hung being honored at Cannes 2023 was announced, many people in the industry and Vietnamese cinema lovers sent their congratulations and expressed their pride in him on their personal pages.
Tran Anh Hung said he dreamed of making a film about Buddha and thought it would be interesting to make such a film. Buddha is an extraordinary figure with a lasting spiritual legacy, having healed many people on this earth. In addition, he also wanted to make a film in Vietnam with an all-female cast.
Strange succession
In 1993, director Tran Anh Hung was honored with the "Camera d'Or" award for the film "The Scent of Green Papaya" at the Cannes Film Festival. Coincidentally, in 2023, young filmmaker Pham Thien An was also honored with this award for the film "Inside the Golden Cocoon". This work was screened in the "Directors' Fortnight" category and is also the only Vietnamese work at Cannes this year.
Director Pham Thien An receives the award. Photo: REUTERS
Pham Thien An lives and makes films in Ho Chi Minh City. Four years ago, he and his wife moved to Houston, USA. Born in 1989, Pham Thien An won second prize in the "48 Hour Short Film" competition in 2014. In 2019, the short film "Be Awake and Be Ready" he made won the illy award for best short film in the "Directors' Fortnight" category at the Cannes Film Festival and he later made the feature film "Inside the Golden Cocoon" from the short film.
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