Three Seasons
by Lenora Chu

Photo by Peter Stone permission October Films

Too often, the "Vietnamese are depicted in war films as faceless people running through the jungles with guns," says 26 year-old director Tony Bui. Three Seasons is his response, poetically dramatizing the humanity behind the faces against the backdrop of contemporary Vietnam.

     The film pulls you in right from the start, opening with an emotionally charged scene of female lotus-pickers immersed in song and work. From there, the film embarks on a touching journey through the eyes of four characters whose paths begin to cross in subtle ways. A cyclo driver falls for a plucky prostitute. A young girl is hired to pick lotus flowers for her solitary master. Little Woody persists in selling wares from a suitcase and a Vietnam vet (Harvey Keitel) tolerates life with the past forever etched in his soul.

Photo by Peter Stone permission October Films

     Though the characters' experiences are distinctly unique, a universal theme permeates throughout: human struggle in the face of change. The film is shot entirely in Vietnam with a Vietnamese cast that includes renowned actors Don Duong and Ngoc Hiep.

     The beauty of this film is that Bui doesn't tell us what to think; he deftly presents a stage from which we draw our own interpretations. This is the mark of great art. I highly recommend this film, but look elsewhere if "Hollywood closure" is what you crave. Three Seasons kicks off the festival on Thursday, March 11 at the AMC Kabuki Theatres.