International sale negotiations underway for the Locarno-bound film, 'Hair, Paper, Water'; screening lights have been illuminated in this exclusive announcement.
In the vibrant world of cinema, collaborations between filmmakers from different backgrounds often lead to unique and thought-provoking works. One such collaboration is between Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Graux and Vietnamese director Truong Minh Quy, whose latest project, "Hair, Paper, Water...", is set to make its world premiere at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival.
Nicolas Graux, hailing from Belgium's former coal-mining region, made his feature debut with "Century of Smoke" in 2019, which earned several international awards. Truong Minh Quy, born in Vietnam's Central Highlands, has gained international recognition with his documentary-fiction hybrid approach. Their collaboration began with the short film "Porcupine" in 2023, which premiered at Rotterdam and won the jury prize for best artistic contribution at the Pink Screens Film Festival.
"Hair, Paper, Water..." is a poignant exploration of an elderly Rục woman's daily life in a village, as she cares for her family and strives to transmit her fragile language to younger generations. The film also features a dream sequence where the woman dreams of her deceased mother calling her home to the cave.
The Locarno Film Festival, running from Aug. 6-16, will see the representation of "Hair, Paper, Water..." and another film by Andrei Epure, "Don't Let Me Die", by Lights On. Flavio Armone, co-founder and managing director of Lights On, expressed his excitement about participating in the Locarno Film Festival for the fourth consecutive year.
Truong's most recent solo feature, "Viet and Nam" (2024), was selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes and screened at major festivals including Toronto, New York Film Festival, and BFI London. "Viet and Nam" collected multiple awards, including the CineRebels Award at Filmfest München.
"Hair, Paper, Water..." is produced by Julie Freres at Dérives (Belgium) and Petit Chaos (France), with co-production from WIP (Belgium) and Lagi films (Vietnam). The film received support from Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Ciclic Région Centre-Val de Loire, Image/mouvement du Centre national des arts plastiques, Procirep, Angoa, Media, Wallonie, Pictanovo, and Brouillon d'un rêve de la Scam.
Graux serves as the cinematographer for "Hair, Paper, Water...", with sound design by Ernst Karel and Truong, and color grading handled by Lionel Kopp. Graux's work blends documentary and fiction to explore sociopolitical realities through "immersive research and a poetic, sensitive gaze."
With its compelling narrative and unique blend of documentary and fiction, "Hair, Paper, Water..." promises to be a standout at the Locarno Film Festival.
This collaboration between Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Graux and Vietnamese director Truong Minh Quy, who are known for their work in 'movies-and-tv', is showcasing their latest project, "Hair, Paper, Water...", at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival. This entertainment piece promises to be a unique and thought-provoking work, offering a poignant exploration of daily life in a Vietnamese village.
