(Return to Foreign Language Resource Center page.)
This is a list of movies available in the Foreign Language Center, to be used in the FLC by students enrolled in Vietnamese classes at Mission College. Keep in mind that these are foreign films. Content of a violent or sexual nature may be different from American films with which you are familiar. For your information, the film's rating has been listed whenever possible.
MOVIE DVDs or VIDEOS
(These movies qualify as full-length feature films
that can be used for the personal response paper requirement
for the Vietnamese 1L or 2L lab courses.)
[We apologize for the lack of Vietnamese accents and diacritical marks.]
The Beautiful Country is an epic story that celebrates the power of the human spirit. Raised as an orphan, Binh is a young Vietnamese man with one impossible dream: to be reunited with his birth father, an American G.I. who left without a trace. In an incredible odyssey that stretches from Saigon to New York to Texas, Binh confronts unimaginable hardships as he finds danger, love, and, finally, the key to unlocking the mysteries of his past. (DVD. In English, 125 minutes, Rated R for some language and a crude sexual reference.)
Buffalo Boy is a powerful coming-of-age story set in rural 1940s Vietnam. A young man from a poor family is sent by his father to find grass for their two starving buffalo. Before long, he takes up with a rough and dangerous band of buffalo herders and discovers freedom, adventure, and love -- but also secrets about his past that will change his life forever. (DVD. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 98 minutes, Not Rated.)
Cyclo tells of a young cyclo (pedicab driver) in Ho Chi Minh City who transports anonymous passengers through the teeming streets trying to eke out meager living for himself and his family. When his bicycle is stolen he descends into the criminal element of the city to bring in needed money. (DVD and Video. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 123 minutes, Not Rated.)
First Morning is a movie about the path from lost identity to self-discovery and from alienation to hope and rebirth. A young man returns home on the threshold of the Lunar New Year and finds himself a stranger within his own family. The cold silence surrounding the disappearance of his younger sister forces him on a quest for answers. Through his search, we are given a glimpse of the family's fragmented past. From their perilous escape from Vietnam, to their separation, to their struggle with married relationships, the family continues to endure the tragedies of false expectations. (DVD. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 90 minutes, Rated PG-13 for violence and some sexuality.)
Green Dragon (from the filmmakers of "Three Seasons") In 1975, refugee camps were set up across the deserts of the United States to house an exodus of over 100,000 Vietnamese immigrants before and immediately after the fall of Saigon. This is the story of the unlikely bond of friendship that forms between the Marine in charge of the camp and a new English-speaking Vietnamese arrival who acts as interpreter. (DVD, In English, 113 minutes, Rated PG-13.)
Heaven and Earth is the emotional story of an American soldier, a Vietnamese woman and a love that traps them "between Heaven and Earth." (One DVD and Video, in SPANISH with English subtitles, 142 minutes, Rated R.) (One DVD in English and French with English subtitles, 142 minutes, Rated R)
Journey from the Fall April 30, 1975, marked the end of Vietnam's two-decade-old civil war and the start of the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees. Despite his allegiance to the toppled South Vietnamese government, Long Nguyen decides to remain in Vietnam. Imprisoned in a Communist re-education camp, he urges his family to make the escape by boat without him. His wife, son, and mother then embark on the arduous ocean voyage in the hope of reaching the U.S. and freedom. (2-disk DVD set, In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 135 minutes, Rated R)
The Lover is the story of a poor French teenager who engages in an illicit affair with a wealthy Chinese heir in 1920s Saigon. For the first time in her young life, she has control, and she wields it deftly over her besotted lover throughout a series of clandestine meetings and torrid encounters. But, though the lovers are able to transcend their differences in age, race and class, theirs is a future that French colonial Vietnamese society will never allow. (DVD. In English or French with English, French or Spanish subtitles, 115 minutes, Not Rated.)
Nguoi Tinh Khong Chan Dung (Warrior, Who Are You?) (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese with English subtitles, 105 Minutes, Not Rated)
Nhu Giot Suong Khuya (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese with English and French subtitles, 120 minutes, Not Rated)
Nostalgia for the Countryside explores the tensions and traumas of everyday life in a rural Vietnamese village. The arrival from abroad of Quyen, who fled the village as a small girl, coincides with the sexual awakening of 17-year-old Nham, through whose eyes the story unfolds. While picturesque on the surface, the countryside that Quyen dreamed about turns out to be a landscape of poverty, passion, and tragedy -- though not without pockets of warmth and humor. (DVD, in Vietnamese with English subtitles, 116 minutes, Not Rated)
The Quiet American is a stylish political thriller where love and war collide in southeast Asia. Set in early 1950s Vietnam, a young American becomes entagled in a dangerous love triangle when he falls for the beautiful mistress of a British journalist. As war is raged around them, these three only sink deeper into a world of drugs, passion and betrayal where nothing is as it seems. (DVD. In English, 101 minutes, Rated R for violence and some language.)
The Scent of Green Papaya is a love story of exquisite beauty and originality. Set in Vietnam in the 1950s and '60s, it is the story of a shy peasant girl who comes to Saigon at the age of 10 as a household servant and grows into a beautiful woman who inspires her upper class lover to break with convention. (Video. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 104 minutes, Not Rated.)
Spirits. Memories and obsessions haunt a struggling writer as he meets two mysterious women and becomes enthralled in their dark secrets. Set in modern-day Vietnam, Spirits is an eerie and chilling ghost story that weaves together traditional notions of fate, karma, and reincarnation. (DVD. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 105 minutes, Not Rated.)
Three Seasons is a story of the new Vietnam. The beautiful old city of Saigon is quickly fading into the neon glare of Western progress, leaving four ordinary people as expatriates in their own country. The haunting stories of these people intertwine to paint a portrait of a country in transition. (Video. In English, 110 minutes, Rated PG-13.)
The Traveling Circus tells the bittersweet story of a small traveling circus from Hanoi stopping in an impoverished ethnic minority village in Vietnam's central highlands. Through the eyes of a village youngster, we witness the magic of the circus, and the naïve hope that illusion can be transformed into reality. The Travelling Circus is an extremely realistic, sensitive, and moving film. (DVD. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 74 minutes, Not Rated.)
The Vertical Ray of the Sun from director Tran Anh Hung, is a richly sensual, deeply moving tale of tradition, love and deception in the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. Three sisters are living and loving in the supportive clan they've forged since the deaths of their parents. (DVD and Video. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 112 minutes, Rated PG-13.)
When the Tenth Month Comes is a haunting portrait of one woman's struggle with loss and personal sacrifice. In the finals days of the war, a beautiful young widow, Duyen, faces a daily struggle to take care of her young son and ailing father-in-law, all the while hiding from them the fact that her husband has recently been killed in battle. Zhang, the village schoolmaster, agrees to fabricate letters from her dead husband to spare her family sorrow, but the relationship between Duyen and Zhang deepens. The movie's title refers to the month in which the "Day of Forgiveness" occurs, a time when it is said that departed souls may visit loved ones still living. (DVD. In Vietnamese with English subtitles, 90 minutes, Not Rated.)
MOVIE DVDs or VIDEOS IN VIETNAMESE ONLY
These movies qualify as full-length feature films that can be used for the personal response paper requirement
for the Vietnamese 1L lab course, however, they were purchased in Vietnam and do not have English subtitles.
Descriptions of these DVDs/videos are not yet available; please check with your instructor.
Cau Thang Toi (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 2 hours, Not Rated)
Cheo Co Vietnam (Vietnamese Cultural: Oldies Comedy) (Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, Not Rated)
Chi Pheo (DVD, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, Not Rated)
Cong Tu Bac Lieu (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 90 minutes, Not Rated)
Doi Mua Gio (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, about 3 hours, Not Rated)
Gion Mat: tu than (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 100 minutes, Not Rated)
Giong To (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles; 140 minutes, Not Rated)
Kiep Ngheo (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 77 minutes, Not Rated)
Nang Chieu (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 94 minutes, Not Rated)
Nuoc Mat: Hoc Tro (DVD, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, Not Rated)
Phim Bien Dong (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 85 minutes, Not Rated)
Phim Chi Dau (DVD, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, Not Rated)
Phim Truyen: Ben Song Trang #1 (DVD, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, Not Rated)
Phim Truyen: Ben Song Trang #2 (DVD, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, Not Rated)
So Do (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 4 hours 13 minutes, Not Rated)
Song dai (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 125 minutes, Not Rated)
Song Tinh (DVD and Video, in Vietnamese, no subtitles, 97 minutes, Not Rated)
OTHER DVDs AND VIDEOS AVAILABLE
IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
(These materials are of interest for culture, travel or grammar, but not to be used for the personal response paper requirement
for the Vietnamese 1L or 2L lab courses. They DO, however, count toward your 24-hour requirement.)
Burning Incense: Huong. Documentary. With footage of the beautiful northern Vietnamese landscape, Buddhist pagodas, altars to ancestors, and painting by old masters hanging in the National Museum of Art in Hanoi, the video illustrates the many layers of juxaposition between art and life in contemporary Vietnam. Rather than focus on historical or political issues, the video provides newcomers to Vietnamese culture with a visual representation of themes and symbols in daily spiritual and artistic life. (DVD and Video. In English, 24 minutes.)
Daughter from Danang. Heidi seems the proverbial "all-American girl" from small-town Pulaski, Tennessee. But she was born Mai Thi Hiep in Danang, Vietnam, the daughter of an American serviceman and a Vietnamese woman. At the war's end, her mother, hearing rumors that racially-mixed children would be persecuted, placed the 7-year-old girl on an "Operation Baby-Lift" plane to the United States. Twenty-two years later, mother and daughter are miraculously reunited in Danang. But what seems like the cue for a happy ending is anything but, as Heidi and her Vietnamese relatives are caught in a heart-wrenching clash of cultures. (Documentary DVD. In English (subtitled when necessary), 83 minutes)
Discover Vietnam 2. Vietnamese New Year and related activities. (Video. In Vietnamese, No English Subtitles. Not Rated)
Discover Vietnam 4. Ha Noi and her old neighborhoods. (Video. In Vietnamese, No English Subtitles. Not Rated)
Discover Vietnam 7. Vietnamese traditional festivals. (DVD and Video. In Vietnamese, No English Subtitles. Not Rated)
Exploring Vietnam: From Hanoi to Saigon. A tour from Hanoi to Saigon and surrounding areas, discovering the Vietnamese culture through the food and through visits to markets, museums and historical sites. (DVD and Video. In English, 37 minutes)
Globe Trekker: The Pilot Guide to Vietnam. This journey starts by celebrating the New Year at the TET Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. From there it continues up the coast, taking in the unspoiled beaches of Lang Co and the city of Hue. After a bicycle tour of the capital, Hanoi, the journey ends in the remote highlands near the Chinese border.(DVD and Video, In English, 50 minutes)
Hitchhiking Vietnam. Have you ever dreamed of escaping it all, quitting your job, hopping a plane, and setting off on an uncharted adventure in a timeless, exotic land? Karin Muller did. Smuggling a hi-8 camera, she took a seven-month solo trek through an enchanted Vietnam far off the tourist map, from the hustling back streets of Saigon and Hanoi to a remote Hmong mountain tribal village few foreigners have seen. Join Karin on a 3000-mile odyssey, from hiking the Ho Chi Minh Trail, to hauling up Highway 1 on a cranky motorbike, to persuading a pair of engineers to let her drive the train! (DVD, In English, 58 minutes, Rated: NR)
Kontum Diary and Kontum Diary - The Journey Home. Twenty years after he fought in Vietnam, ex-Army paratrooper Reed had not come to grips with his experiences there. Then his mother unearthed a box Reed had shipped home from Kontum Province in March, 1968. It held a North Vietnamese soldier's backpack, snatched by Reed from a battlefield, that contained the poetry-filled diary of the soldier, Second Lieutenant Nguyen Van Nghia. When Reed learned that Nghia was still alive, he went to Vietnam to return the diary. (DVD and Video. In English, 55 minutes each.)
The Life of Buddha. The quest for enlightenment known as Buddhism is rapidly attracting followers in the western world today. Buddhism is the major religion in Vietnam. Like no film before, The Life of Buddha meticulously reveals the fascinating story of Prince Siddhartha and his spiritual transformation into the Buddha, the great teacher who changed the entire world. Additional material includes interviews with the world's leading Buddhist scholars and spiritual leaders. (DVD. In English, French, and German. Film: 90 minutes. Additional material: 50 minutes)
Little Saigon. PBS Documentary, 3 MAY 2004. (Video. In English.)
Mai's America. Documentary, August 2002. What do you get when you cross a sheltered Vietnamese teenager with a bunch of self-described rednecks living in rural Mississippi? An eye-opening experience for anyone watching. With "Mai's America," first-time documentarian Marlo Poras trailed the vivacious Mai, a spoiled teenager from Hanoi who dreams of visiting the America she's seen in Hollywood movies. Instead, Mai lands in rural Mississippi, where she lives with a family of depressed, unemployed locals, studies the Vietnam War with her new high school class, and befriends a transvestite coming to terms with his religious upbringing. Poras shot more than 170 hours of footage for the film, which has drawn acclaim on the festival circuit and has aired on PBS stations across the country. Throughout the film, Poras captures points high and low in the life of this captivating young woman -- dancing at the prom in Mississippi, trying to tackle college in New Orleans, or working at a nail shop in Detroit. (DVD and Video. In English; 71 minutes.)
Minorities in Vietnam I. Documentary. (DVD and Video. In Vietnamese with English subtitles.)
Minorities in Vietnam II. Documentary. (DVD and Video. In Vietnamese with English subtitles.)
My Journey Home. This PBS documentary traverses the landscape of cultural identity, following three new American voices -- journalist Armando Peña, writer Faith Aliele, and journalist Andrew Lam -- as they travel to their ancestral homelands. (For students of Vietnamese, this film should be watched for the story of Andrew Lam.) Lam chronicles the immigrant experiences of others while struggling to come to terms with his own. He first saw America through the chainlinked fence of a relocation camp, in stark contrast to the life of privilege and respect which his family enjoyed when he was a boy in Vietnam. He returns to his boyhood home to find relatives left behind, and finds himself struggling for an elusive sense of belonging and peace. (DVD and Video. In English, 2 hours.)
Precious Cargo: Vietnamese Adoptees. Documentary, 15 MAY 2002. (Video. In English.)
Raising the Bamboo Curtain: Awakening Vietnam. Although reminders of war are still evident, this is a story about the people of Vietnam -- their culture, history, heritage and desire to move forward. This documentary explores the bustle of Saigon, the hill station of Dalat, the charm of Hanoi, and areas of rural Vietnam. (DVD and Video. In English, 60 minutes)
Raising the Bamboo Curtain: Emerging Burma and Cambodia. An inside look at two countries hidden from the world's view. Burma, today renaming itself Myanmar, is the most profoundly Buddhist country on earth. This documentary reveals its holy places and goes on to explain the history of its war years and political struggles. In Cambodia, the documentary visits the ancient site of Angkhor Wat and the current capital of Phnom Penh. (DVD and Video. In English, 60 minutes)
Return to Cambodia. Documentary, 11 MAY 2004. (DVD and Video. In English.)
Return with Honor: POWs in Vietnam. Documentary, May 2001. Men who piloted the hottest fighter planes in the world found themselves suddenly transformed from hotshots to humiliated prisoners during the Vietnam War. The story of how American prisoners survived in North Vietnam's notorious prison camps is dramatically told in this documentary, an installment of the American Experience series on PBS. (DVD and Video. In English.)
Vietnam: A Television History. A 13-hour PBS program on seven DVDs or video tapes, this collection carefully analyzes the costs and consequences of this controversial but intriguing war. From the first episode to the last, it provides a detailed visual and oral account of the war that changed a generation and continues to color American thinking on many military and foreign policy issues.
Volume 1: Roots of a War; The First Vietnam War (1945-1954)
Volume 2: America's Mandarin (1954-1963); LBJ Goes to War (1964-1965)
Volume 3: America Takes Charge (1965-1967); America's Enemy (1954-1967)
Volume 4: Tet 1968; Vietnamizing the War (1968-1973)
636Volume 5: Cambodia and Laos; Peace Is at Hand (1968-1973)
Volume 6: Homefront USA; The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975)
Volume 7: Legacies
Vietnam's Unseen War: Pictures from the Other Side A National Geographic documentary. In this provocative journey, join renowned British combat photographer Tim Page as he embarks on a personal odyssey to reveal haunting, long-hidden photographs that capture the struggles of war and depict the grueling jungle conditions. It's a fascinating and emotional look at the unique bond between the countries opposing war photographers. (DVD, In English, 60 minutes.)
(Return to Foreign Language Resource Center page.)