The Wallonie-Bruxelles Love Film Festival is an annual event in Vietnam organized by the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio (under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism), the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Vietnam, and the ASBL Ciné-Loisirs Association. Its purpose is to introduce films centered around the theme of love. The concept of love here is interpreted broadly, encompassing not only romantic love but also love between people, love for nature, and love for animals.
This year, the festival invites audiences to explore five newly produced films, each addressing different themes. Some are humorous, others tragic, but all are handled with finesse and packed with emotion. The films include Retro Therapy, Un silence, Titina, Quitter la nuit, and L’Étoile filante.
Retro Therapy
Set in Belgium, Canada, and France, Retro Therapy tells the story of Manon, a 16-year-old girl who must live with her grandmother, Yvonne, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Manon reluctantly participates in her grandmother’s imaginative games and assumes the role of her mother, a figure she barely knows. Through this process, Manon discovers the real stories of the women in her family and learns what it means to be a woman herself.
Un silence
This film, set in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, revolves around Astrid, the wife of a renowned lawyer. After 25 years of silence about a significant incident, she finds herself watching her family fall apart as her children begin to uncover the truth in their pursuit of justice. Un silence won the Best Director award at the 2023 Rome Film Festival.
Titina
The animated film Titina (Norway, Belgium) narrates the story of Italian aeronautical engineer and airship designer Umberto Nobile, who lives a peaceful life with his adorable dog, Titina. One day, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen commissions him to build an airship capable of conquering the North Pole. Nobile, Titina, and Amundsen embark on an extraordinary journey to the ends of the Earth. The film takes viewers through the real-life tale of triumph and failure. Titina won the Excellence Award at the 2023 Tokyo Anime Award Festival, the Grand Jury Prize for Children and at the 2023 Zlín Film Festival, the Karel Zeman Award.
Quitter la nuit
Set in Belgium, Canada, and France, Quitter la nuit begins with a woman in danger calling the police one night. Anna answers the call, leading to the arrest of a man. Weeks later, judicial authorities work to gather evidence for prosecution. This gripping drama won the Audience Award at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival and has been selected for the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards.
L’Étoile filante
L’Étoile filante (Belgium, France) tells the story of Boris, a bartender who has been in hiding for 35 years after being involved in a tragic incident. The film won the Jury Prize at the 2023 Beaujolais Francophone Cinema Encounters in France and served as the opening film for the 2023 Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.
The films will be screened free of charge at the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio (465 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi) from December 5 to December 9.
V.H