Chuyện tử tế
简介
Originally banned in Vietnam, this documentary was released only after the intervention of Communist Party leader Nguyen van Linh. HOW TO BEHAVE then became a smash hit, seen by millions of Vietnamese, turning into a cornerstone of that country's new glasnost.
Dying of cancer, the cameraman Dong Xuan Thuyet asks his friends to make a film on the subject of "tu-te" - human relations, fraternity or, simply, kindness. Thus charged, the filmmakers explore the realities behind the nationalistic slogans to reveal troubling scenes of Vietnamese life in a society which, although not without hope, seems no longer able to define humanitarianism - or greed for that matter.
"An important historical document... That the film was made at all shows how much government control over the arts loosened after 'doi moi.'... A fascinating glimpse into Vietnamese society at the start of economic and social change." - Hue-Tam Ho Tai, American Historical Review
"A powerfully understated film... leaving searing images." - New York Times
"A revealing, understated profile... valuable to outsiders for its insight into modern Vietnam, invaluable to the Vietnamese for its framing of moral issues." - Landers Film & Video Reviews
"An interesting meditation and surprisingly critical work from a country whose films seldom reach the U.S... For all audiences above the high school level." - Choice