Adrift

Set in modern day Hanoi, "Adrift" explores changing social mores in a culture once based on ancestral, conservative family values, now being replaced by modern individualistic ideals.

The story centers on Duyen, a young woman stuck in an unconsummated marriage with the good-natured, almost childlike, taxi driver Hai. Meanwhile her best friend, the slightly older Cam, pines for her in secret, but cannot declare her love due to the social taboos surrounding homosexuality still prevevalent Vietnam. Instead Cam pushes Duyen into the arms of her dissolute male friend Tho, setting in motion a destructive love affair that will plunge Duyen even deeper into emotional isolation.

With a soundtrack of contemporary songs and slow-paced takes, director Chuyên Bui Thac creates a muted but steamy atmosphere, highlighting the feelings of frustration and emptiness that the tangled love story results in.
JONAS ADNER

Orig. title
Choi voi: Cast
Duy Khoa Nguyen, Johnny Nguyen, Linh Dan Pham, Do Thi Hai Yen: Producer
Tat Binh Dang, Claire Lajoumard: Script
Dang Di PHAN: Cinematography
Dung Ly Thai: Music
Hoang Ngoc Dai: Spoken language
Vietnamese: Subtitle
English