Tran Anh Hung
Encyclopedia
Trần Anh Hùng is a French
film director
of Vietnamese
ancestry.
He was born in Đà Nẵng
, Central Vietnam
, and emigrated to France
when he was 12 following the fall of Saigon
at the end of the Vietnam War
in 1975.
Trần has long been considered as having been in the forefront of the wave of acclaimed overseas Vietnamese cinema in the past two decades. His films have received international notoriety and acclaim, and until recently had all been varied meditations on life in Vietnam
.
His Oscar-nominated debut (for Best foreign film
) was with The Scent of Green Papaya
(1993) which also won two top prizes at the prestigious Cannes film festival
, and his followup Cyclo (1995) featured top Hong Kong
movie star Tony Leung Chiu Wai
, also eventually winning a top prize at the Venice International Film Festival. The Vertical Ray of the Sun
, released in 2000, was the third film in what many consider now to be his "Vietnam trilogy."
After a sabbatical, it was officially announced that Trần is back behind the helm with the noir
psychological thriller
I Come with the Rain
(2009), which features a star-studded international cast including Josh Hartnett
and Elias Koteas
.
It was announced in July 2008 that Trần would direct an adaptation of Haruki Murakami
's novel Norwegian Wood
. The film was released in Japan in December of 2010.
Trần's wife, actress Trần Nữ Yên Khê, has starred in every single one of his films to date, with the exception of Norwegian Wood.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
ancestry.
He was born in Đà Nẵng
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, Central Vietnam
Central Vietnam
Central Vietnam or Central , formerly also known as Trung phần by Republic of Vietnam, Trung kỳ and Annam under French Indochina) is one of the three regions of Vietnam . Highlands or Tây Nguyên are often included in the Central...
, and emigrated to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
when he was 12 following the fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
at the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1975.
Trần has long been considered as having been in the forefront of the wave of acclaimed overseas Vietnamese cinema in the past two decades. His films have received international notoriety and acclaim, and until recently had all been varied meditations on life in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
His Oscar-nominated debut (for Best foreign film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
) was with The Scent of Green Papaya
The Scent of Green Papaya
The Scent of Green Papaya is a Vietnamese-language film produced in France by Lazennec Production, and directed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung....
(1993) which also won two top prizes at the prestigious Cannes film festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, and his followup Cyclo (1995) featured top Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
movie star Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is a Hong Kong film actor and former TVB actor. A major film star since the 1990s, Leung has won nine Hong Kong Film Awards and three Golden Horse Best Actor awards...
, also eventually winning a top prize at the Venice International Film Festival. The Vertical Ray of the Sun
The Vertical Ray of the Sun
The Vertical Ray of the Sun is the third feature film by Vietnamese-born French director Trần Anh Hùng. It was released in 2000 and is the final part of what many now consider to be Tran's "Vietnam trilogy."...
, released in 2000, was the third film in what many consider now to be his "Vietnam trilogy."
After a sabbatical, it was officially announced that Trần is back behind the helm with the noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
I Come with the Rain
I Come with the Rain
I Come with the Rain is a 2009 neo-noir atmospheric thriller written and directed by Vietnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung, starring American actor Josh Hartnett....
(2009), which features a star-studded international cast including Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett
Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
and Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
.
It was announced in July 2008 that Trần would direct an adaptation of Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
's novel Norwegian Wood
Norwegian Wood (novel)
is a 1987 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and sexuality. The story's protagonist and narrator is Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in Tokyo...
. The film was released in Japan in December of 2010.
Trần's wife, actress Trần Nữ Yên Khê, has starred in every single one of his films to date, with the exception of Norwegian Wood.
Filmography
| Feature Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Notes |
| 2010 | Norwegian Wood Norwegian Wood (film) is a Japanese drama film directed by Tran Anh Hung, based on Haruki Murakami's novel of the same name. The film was released in Japan on 11 December 2010.- Plot :... |
ノルウェイの森 | In Competition – 67th Venice International Film Festival 67th Venice International Film Festival The 67th annual Venice Film Festival held in Venice, Italy, took place from September 1 to September 11, 2010. American film director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino was head of the Jury. John Woo was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement prior to the start of the Festival... |
| 2009 | I Come with the Rain I Come with the Rain I Come with the Rain is a 2009 neo-noir atmospheric thriller written and directed by Vietnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung, starring American actor Josh Hartnett.... |
I Come with the Rain | Contemporary World Cinematography – 6th Fresh Film Fest International Film Festival Fresh Film Festival The Fresh Film Fest International Film Festival or Fresh Film Fest is an international student film festival held annually in August in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic... Nominated – The Siren (Best International Fantastic Film) – 2009 Lund International Fantastic Film Festival Gala Presentation – 14th Pusan International Film Festival Pusan International Film Festival Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia... |
| 2000 | The Vertical Ray of the Sun The Vertical Ray of the Sun The Vertical Ray of the Sun is the third feature film by Vietnamese-born French director Trần Anh Hùng. It was released in 2000 and is the final part of what many now consider to be Tran's "Vietnam trilogy."... |
Mùa hè chiều thẳng đứng | Nominated – Prix Un Certain Regard – 2000 Cannes Film Festival 2000 Cannes Film Festival The 2000 Cannes Film Festival started on May 14 and ran until May 25. The Palme d'Or went to the Danish film Dancer in the Dark by Lars von Trier.-Jury:* Luc Besson, President * Jonathan Demme * Nicole Garcia... Contemporary World Cinema – 2000 Toronto International Film Festival 2000 Toronto International Film Festival The 2000 Toronto International Film Festival, the 25th annual festival, ran from September 7 to September 16, 2000. Along with special events to commemorate the anniversary, there were a total of 330 films screened. There was a special screening of Sergei Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky featuring... A Window on Asian Cinema – 5th Pusan International Film Festival Pusan International Film Festival Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia... |
| 1995 | Cyclo Cyclo (film) Cyclo is a 1995 film by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung . It stars Le Van Loc, Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Trần Nữ Yên Khê. Le Van Loc plays a young cyclo driver who is forced into working for a gang after his cycle is stolen. Soon, his sister also comes under the influence of the gang and becomes... |
Xích lô | Won – Golden Lion Golden Lion Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes... – 1995 Venice Film Festival Won – FIPRESCI Prize – 1995 Venice Film Festival Won – Grand Prix – 1995 Flanders International Film Festival Ghent |
| 1993 | The Scent of Green Papaya The Scent of Green Papaya The Scent of Green Papaya is a Vietnamese-language film produced in France by Lazennec Production, and directed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung.... |
Mùi đu đủ xanh | Won — Caméra d'Or Caméra d'Or The Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections .... – 1993 Cannes Film Festival 1993 Cannes Film Festival - Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M... Won – Award of the Youth for Best French Film – 1993 Cannes Film Festival 1993 Cannes Film Festival - Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M... Won – Sutherland Trophy – 1994 British Film Institute British Film Institute The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London... Won – César Award for Best Debut César Award for Best Debut The César Award for Best Debut was an award given out at the annual César Awards between 1982 and 1999... – 1994 César Award César Award The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma.... Nominated – Best Foreign Language Film – Academy Award |
| Short Film | |||
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Notes |
| 1991 | La pierre de l'attente | La pierre de l'attente | |
| 1989 | La femme mariée de Nam Xuong | La femme mariée de Nam Xuong | Nominated – Short Film Palme d'Or Short Film Palme d'Or The Short Film Palme d'Or is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the same jury of the Cinéfondation.... – 1989 Cannes Film Festival 1989 Cannes Film Festival - Jury :*Wim Wenders *Christine Gouze-Renal*Claude Beylie*Georges Delerue*Hector Babenco*Krzysztof Kieślowski*Peter Handke*Renée Blanchar*Sally Field*Silvio Clementelli-Feature film competition:* Chimère by Claire Devers... |