At the Height of Summer ( Mua he chieu thang dung ) ( À la verticale de l'été (Ein Sommer in Hanoi) )

At the Height of Summer (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: Mua he chieu thang dung
Alternate Title: À la verticale de l'été (Ein Sommer in Hanoi)
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
Vietnamese ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
112 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Behind the scenes
Filmographies
Interactive Menu
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2000 and produced in:
France ( France, Benelux )
Germany ( Germany, Central Europe )
Vietnam ( India, Eastern Asia )

Directed By:
Anh Hung Tran

Written By:
Anh Hung Tran

Actors:
Tran Nu Yên-Khê ..... Lien
Nhu Quynh Nguyen ..... Suong
Le Khanh ..... Khanh
Quang Hai Ngo ..... Hai
Chu Hung ..... Quoc
Manh Cuong Tran ..... Kien
Le Tuan Anh ..... Tuan
Ngoc Dung Le ..... Huong
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doan Viet Ha
Long Le Vu
Anh Tuan
Do Thi Hai Yen

Synopsis:

From the director of Cyclo and The Scent of Green Papaya comes this tale of three sisters who live in close proximity in present-day Hanoi. Lien (Tran Nu Yen Khe), the youngest sister, shares an apartment with her younger brother Hai (Ngo Quang Hai) and works at a cafe run by oldest sister Suong (Nguyen Nhu Quynh). Suong is the wife of Quoc (Chu Hung), a photographer with whom she has a son. The middle sibling Khan (Le Khanh) is married to Kien (Tran Manh Cuong), a writer in the midst of finishing his first novel. Over the course of one month, the family is convened for the anniversary of the death of the sisters' mother and when reminiscing about their departed matriarch, they bring up the memory of a mysterious man who seems to have been part of their mother's past. Kien begins to look for clues about Toan's identity, and Suong reveals that she has been involved with another man. Lien is sharing sleeping quarters with her brother Hai while keeping track of her flighty boyfriend, and fantasizes about being pregnant. During their husbands' absences, Khan and Suong have a deep conversation about fidelity and reveal secrets they have kept inside for some time; when their husbands return, they begin to question their faithfulness and dedication to them. The Vertical Ray of the Sun screened at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival.

In contemporary Hanoi, Lien works as a waitress in the cafe owned by her older sister Suong. She shares an apartment with her older brother Hai, an actor with whom she constantly flirts. Suong is married to Quoc, a photographer with whom she has a son. Their middle sister Khanh is married to Kien, a writer. On the anniversary of the death of their mother, the three sisters and their brother meet at Suong's cafe to prepare a memorial banquet. Their mother and father were a close couple- so close that their father died a month after his wife passed away. Suong, Lien and Khanh are also very close. They tell each other everything. Nevertheless, each of them hides a secret they dare not reveal. In the weeks between the anniversary of their mother's death and that of their father, the three sisters' unusual complicity gradually gives way to the revelation of secrets, and their relationships undergo both upheaval and renewal.

At the Height of Summer is a film by Vietnam's most prominent director, Tran Anh Hung. It's the story of three sisters in present-day Hanoi: the youngest is just discovering sexuality, the middle one is about to have a baby but suspects her husband is having an affair, and the oldest discovers her husband has a child by a woman who lives in the country. In the course of preparing an elaborate meal on the anniversary of their mother's death, the three women discuss their lives and problems. This is a film of great beauty and sensitivity, immaculately shot and owing nothing to stereotyped Western images of Vietnam. The radiant Tran Nu Yen Khe, star of Tran's first two films, The Scent of Green Papaya and Cyclo offers another great performance. One of the director's trademarks is a virtual obsession with food and its preparation. If you aren't hungry when you start this film, you will be at the end.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 07 December, 2010.

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