Perspective Film Series
The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), Directed by Tran Anh Hung
Sunday, August 13th | 5:30-7:30 PM
1993 | Vietnamese (Vietnam) | 144 mins
This month’s perspective focuses on connection in our most silent, yet intimate moments. In a curious composition, the cinematography of this film, the setting of Vietnam, and the chemistry of the actors tells a poetic and delicate story of life: it always goes on. Despite being a film with mere minutes of dialogue, we gain a sense of the everyday life of people, emphasizing the shifts that take place in life as we strive for contentment.
FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members. Our galleries are open 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the events.
Sunday, August 13th
Doors: 5:00pm
Screening: 5:30pm
FREE with $10 admission to Contemporary Calgary. FREE for members.
Synopsis: The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)
The movie takes place in two timelines, separated by ten years. In the first section, the film revolves around, and follows a young girl ‘Mui', who arrives to work at an affluent Vietnamese household in Saigon, in 1951. She is a curious and sensitive young girl, attuned to the sounds of the world, that of small insects, of trees and other minutest qualities of nature within the confines of the property: a two-storey house with a sprawling compound of green that serves to highlight the dichotomy of the space, of gender as well as class,
In the second section, ten years later, Mui is a young woman of twenty, who now works at a wealthy pianist's home, a friend of the older son at her earlier home and someone she has admired from young.
Over the course of the two timelines, the film documents the life of Mui intersecting with the decline of a once-prosperous household plagued by the indiscretions of men and the suffering of women, and then gradually moving on to work in another place, occupying space with a man and his fiance.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Vietnamese
Director: Tran Anh Hung
Producer: Christophe Rossignon
Writer: Tran Anh Hung
Distributor: First Look, Cine Company S.A.
About the Curator:
Alia Aluma (she/her)
Alia Aluma is an award-winning artist, designer, and writer who works in various industries, including academia, philanthropy, and creative. She has lived, worked, and studied on four different continents, gaining notable experiences with the fashion and fine art networks of Hong Kong, as a muralist in Italy, a fashion photographer in England, and creative director, curator, and designer in Calgary, AB. With three degrees from top ranked global universities, Alia also devotes a great deal of time to education as a public speaker, guest instructor, or mentor in her fields of study: Art & History, Communications, Commerce, Film, and World Culture. Her global and enriching experiences have lent her toward a pursuit in philanthropy, starting the Aluma Foundation with her Father and twin brother, which is a scholarship foundation in Uganda for students at all levels. Among all of this, Alia also donates hundreds of hours to in-kind services annually.
