Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Directed by Pham Thien An
Winner of the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the prestigious André Bazin Prize from Cahiers du Cinema, both celebrating outstanding feature debuts, this enthralling work from Vietnamese filmmaker Pham Thien An is a reverie on faith, loss, and nature expressed with uncommon invention and depth. The sudden death of his sister-in-law brings unexpected responsibilities to Thien (Le Phong Vu), who is reluctantly tasked with bringing his five-year-old nephew Dao to their countryside hometown. On the road, Thien is drawn into a search for his long-missing older brother, haunted and spurred forward by a series of sublime dreams that reignite suppressed memories, forbidden desires, and specters of his own youth. What began as a journey home becomes a pilgrimage marked by visual splendor and mystical overtones, a quest for understanding and certainty in a Vietnam that seems unable to provide any clear answers. As Thien battles with the existential question of what is worth living for, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell interrogates the persistence and complexity of faith, not only in the spiritual but in the delicate beauty of earthly existence.
Reviews More Reviews
“Critic’s Pick…an uncommonly strong feature debut... The film evokes most strongly the work of the Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, though Pham’s voice is entirely his own.”
“Transfixing...makes you feel as if you've been quietly transported to another world.”
“Astonishing...This is faith as cinematic form: in every shot, Pham compels us to dwell in the space just beyond what we see, or what we believe.”
“Critic’s Pick! A spellbinding tale of the soul’s unfathomable desire for the other-worldly. Pham has certainly found his own divine calling with filmmaking.”
“Exquisite… casts an unshakeable spell. Invites comparisons to such titans as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Tsai Ming-liang and even Theo Angelopoulos, without feeling derivative of any.”
“Truly astounding... A formally exquisite examination of loss, faith, family, and connection, it's the year’s first masterpiece, and a must-see for anyone interested in more than just blockbuster fare.”
“Provocative, absorbing and mysterious. Defined by visual splendor and a complex questioning of faith.”
“Astounding… simply magnificent to behold...Bursting with discoveries that remind us of how simultaneously small and essential all of us are in the vastness of the world”
“Offers transcendental expression… [with] a magnetic power.”
“Extraordinary… stunning. A film so accomplished that it beggars belief this is a debut feature. Heralds a bold, accomplished new voice in Asian cinema, someone we are sure to encounter again on the biggest stages of the world.”
“Mesmerizing… an instant masterpiece. There’s a healthy dose of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, a spoonful of Bi Gan, and even a few drops of Tsai Ming-liang.”
Awards & Festivals
Press & Exhibitors
Below please find additional information and promotional materials for this film. Use the buttons on the left to request to book this film for theatrical or educational/community screenings.
For all press requests, please contact us at press@kinolorber.com.
Technical Info
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Color: Color
Press & Promotion:
playdates
Venue | City | State | Date |
---|---|---|---|
American Cinematheque | Los Angeles | CA | 1705813200January 21 - February 1, 2024 |
Belcourt Theatre | Nashville | TN | 1709960400March 9 - March 13, 2024 |
Brattle Theatre | Cambridge | MA | 1719028800June 22 - June 23, 2024 |
Carbon Arc Cinema | Halifax | NS | 1710993600March 21 - March 22, 2024 |
Center for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe | Santa Fe | NM | 1706850000February 2 - February 15, 2024 |
Cinéma du Museé | Montreal | QC | 1706850000February 2 - February 26, 2024 |
Cinema Public | Montreal | QC | 1707454800February 9 - March 6, 2024 |
Cleveland Cinematheque | Cleveland | OH | 1707973200February 15, 2024 |
Digital Gym Cinema | San Diego | CA | 1706245200January 26 - February 1, 2024 |
Film at Lincoln Center | New York | NY | 1705640400January 19 - February 8, 2024 |
Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL | 1706245200January 26 - February 1, 2024 |
Gesa Power House Theatre | Walla Walla | WA | 1718164800June 12, 2024 |
Laemmle Theatres | Los Angeles | CA | 1708491600February 21, 2024 |
Metrograph | New York | NY | 1706850000February 2 - February 22, 2024 |
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston | TX | 1707368400February 8 - February 11, 2024 |
New Plaza Cinema | New York | NY | 1707454800February 9 - March 24, 2024 |
Northwest Film Forum | Seattle | WA | 1709701200March 6 - March 10, 2024 |
Now Instant Image Hall | Los Angeles | CA | 1706850000February 2 - February 9, 2024 |
Oklahoma City Museum of Art | Oklahoma City | OK | 1707368400February 8, 2024 |
Regency Westminster | Westminster | CA | 1706245200January 26 - February 15, 2024 |
Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1706245200January 26 - February 8, 2024 |
Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University | Durham | NC | 1706158800January 25, 2024 |
Screen Door Microcinema | Tampa | FL | 1710388800March 14 - March 15, 2024 |
Smith Rafael Film Center | San Rafael | CA | 1710475200March 15 - March 21, 2024 |
Tara Theatre | Atlanta | GA | 1709874000March 8 - March 14, 2024 |
The Cinematheque | Vancouver | BC | 1708232400February 18 - February 25, 2024 |
The Ryder Film Series | Bloomington | IN | 1708146000February 17 - February 25, 2024 |
Upstate Films - Starr Cinema | Rhinebeck | NY | 1708578000February 22 - February 28, 2024 |
UWM Union Cinema | Milwaukee | WI | 1706850000February 2 - February 3, 2024 |
Vermont International Film Festival | Burlington | VT | 1709787600March 7, 2024 |
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Hartford | CT | 1715918400May 17 - May 18, 2024 |
Webster University Film Series | St. Louis | MO | 1707454800February 9 - February 11, 2024 |