Vietnam’s first feature film on homosexuality, Lost in Paradise has been selected to be shown at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival (the Berlinale) held in Germany from February 9-19, the Vnexpress newswire reported Saturday.
Lost in Paradise, whose original Vietnamese title is Hotboy noi loan, cau chuyen ve thang Cuoi, con vit va co gai diem (Rebellious hot boy, and the story about a guy named Cuoi, a prostitute and a duck), will compete in the Panaroma section at Berlinale.
Directed by Vu Ngoc Dang, who has several box office hits to his credit in Vietnam, Lost in Paradise depicts the intersection of the daily lives of a gay couple, a mentally disabled man, and a female prostitute.
Prior to the Berlinale, the film was screened at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in September and the Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada, and the Busan International Film Festival in Korea.
Lost in Paradise won Thailand’s Technicolor Award in 2010 and two other prizes - Silver Lotus and Best Director prizes at the 17th Vietnam National Film Festival in December.
The Berlinale is one of the most important dates on the international film industry calendar. More than 19,000 film professionals from 120 countries, including 4,000 journalists, are accredited for the Berlin International Film Festival every year. Up to 400 films are shown every year as part of the Berlinale's public program.
The Panorama section has been dedicated to gay, lesbian and transgender films which are independent and art-house productions since the 1980s with films like Rob Epstein and Richard Schmiechen’s The Times of Harvey Milk, Greta Schiller’s Before Stonewall, Gus Van Sant’s Mala Noche and Pedro Almodóvar’s The Law of Desire.
Giot le Ha Long (Ha Long tear drop) by director Tran Vu and Nguyen Huu Phan was Vietnam’s first feature film that competed ing in Panorama in 1995.
British film director Mike Leigh will be the Jury President at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, whose most important awards are the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears.