The Scent of Green Papaya
Encyclopedia
The Scent of Green Papaya (Vietnamese
: Mùi đu đủ xanh, French
: L'Odeur de la papaye verte) is a Vietnamese-language film produced in France
by Lazennec Production, and directed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung
.
The film won the Caméra d'Or
prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
, a César Award for Best Debut
at the French annual film award ceremony, and was shortlisted
for the 1993 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
. The Scent of Green Papaya is Tran Anh Hung's first feature film and stars his wife, Tran Nu Yên-Khê. The film is also the director's first collaboration with Vietnamese composer Tôn-Thât Tiêt
who would subsequently write the music for two more films: Cyclo
and Vertical Ray of the Sun.
Although set in Vietnam, the film was shot entirely on a soundstage in Boulogne
, France.
Ten years later, the family falls on hard times. Two sons have left and the wife has taken the place of the grandmother upstairs, rarely seen and tragic. Although the wife now realizes she considered Mui one of her own, Mui changes homes. She becomes a servant for a pianist who was a friend of the older son when they were younger. That man is engaged to be married, but he prefers playing the piano to spending time with his fiance. One night, as the man's fiance chatters on, his piano playing becomes more and more stormy as he ignores her. When she leaves she watches through the window. As Mui comes into the room, his music becomes more harmonious. Later that night, the pianist goes to Mui's quarters after dark and closes the door behind him. When the fiance learns of this, the engagement is broken. The pianist starts teaching Mui to read and write as well as comport herself as a lady. A pregnant Mui reads poetry to her husband, her unborn child, and the wife of her original household.
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
: Mùi đu đủ xanh, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: L'Odeur de la papaye verte) is a Vietnamese-language film produced in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by Lazennec Production, and directed by Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung
Tran Anh Hung
Trần Anh Hùng is a French film director of Vietnamese ancestry.He was born in Đà Nẵng, Central Vietnam, and emigrated to France when he was 12 following the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975....
.
The film won the Caméra d'Or
Caméra d'Or
The Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections ....
prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
, a César Award for Best Debut
César Award for Best Debut
The César Award for Best Debut was an award given out at the annual César Awards between 1982 and 1999...
at the French annual film award ceremony, and was shortlisted
Short list
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates . The length of short lists varies according to the context.-U.S...
for the 1993 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. The Scent of Green Papaya is Tran Anh Hung's first feature film and stars his wife, Tran Nu Yên-Khê. The film is also the director's first collaboration with Vietnamese composer Tôn-Thât Tiêt
Ton-That Tiet
Tôn Thất Tiết is a Vietnamese music composer.-Biography:Born in Huê in central Vietnam in 1933, Tiet came to Paris in 1958 to study composition at the Paris Conservatoire. He attended Jean Rivier and André Jolivet classes for composition...
who would subsequently write the music for two more films: Cyclo
Cyclo (film)
Cyclo is a 1995 film by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung . It stars Le Van Loc, Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Trần Nữ Yên Khê. Le Van Loc plays a young cyclo driver who is forced into working for a gang after his cycle is stolen. Soon, his sister also comes under the influence of the gang and becomes...
and Vertical Ray of the Sun.
Although set in Vietnam, the film was shot entirely on a soundstage in Boulogne
Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Boulogne-Billancourt is a sub-prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt....
, France.
Plot summary
A young girl, Mui, becomes a servant for a rich family. Mui is notably peaceful and curious about the world. The family consists of a frequently absent husband, a wife, an older son, two younger sons, and the husband's mother. When the husband leaves for his fourth and final time, he takes all the household's money. He returns ill and passes away shortly after.Ten years later, the family falls on hard times. Two sons have left and the wife has taken the place of the grandmother upstairs, rarely seen and tragic. Although the wife now realizes she considered Mui one of her own, Mui changes homes. She becomes a servant for a pianist who was a friend of the older son when they were younger. That man is engaged to be married, but he prefers playing the piano to spending time with his fiance. One night, as the man's fiance chatters on, his piano playing becomes more and more stormy as he ignores her. When she leaves she watches through the window. As Mui comes into the room, his music becomes more harmonious. Later that night, the pianist goes to Mui's quarters after dark and closes the door behind him. When the fiance learns of this, the engagement is broken. The pianist starts teaching Mui to read and write as well as comport herself as a lady. A pregnant Mui reads poetry to her husband, her unborn child, and the wife of her original household.
Cast
- Tran Nu Yên-Khê - Mui Age 20 (as Trân Nu Yên-Khê)
- Man San Lu - Mui Age 10
- Thi Loc Truong - La mère (as Truong Thi Lôc)
- Anh Hoa Nguyen - La vieille Ti (as Nguyên 'Anh Hoa)
- Hoa Hoi Vuong - Khuyen (as Vuong Hòa Hôi)
- Ngoc Trung Tran - Le père
- Vantha Talisman - Thu
- Keo Souvannavong - Trung
- Van Oanh Nguyen - Mr. Thuan
- Gerard Neth - Tin
- Nhat Do - Lam
- Thi Hai Vo - La grand-mère
- Thi Thanh Tra Nguyen - Mai
- Lam Huy Bui - Le médecin
- Xuan Thu Nguyen - L'antiquaire