One of the finest masterpieces of Vietnamese cinema. A haunting portrait of one woman’s struggle with loss and personal sacrifice during the war, When the tenth month comes is a lyrical vision of the endurance of Vietnamese women from one of Vietnam’s most renowned directors, Dang Nhat Minh.

In the final days of the war, a beautiful young widow, Duyen, faces a daily struggle to take care of her young son and ailing father-in-law, all the while hiding from them the fact that her husband has recently been killed in battle. Keeping her secret burden to herself, she is befriended by the village schoolmaster, Khang, who agrees to fabricate letters from her dead husband in order to spare her family sorrow. As their friendship deepens, Duyen and Khang find themselves drawn closer to intimacy – a dangerous relationship if Duyen maintains her charade. The tile of the movie refers to the month in which the “Day of Forgiveness” occurs; a time when it is said that departed souls may visit loved ones still living.

"When the Tenth Month Comes" was selected one of the best Asian film of all time on CNN.

DVD, English subtitles, 90 minutes, black & white.

The price: $20
The price for libraries and educational institutions: $40

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Powerful and poetic, Nostalgia for the Countryside explores the tensions and traumas of everyday life in a rural Vietnamese village.

The arrival from abroad of Quyen, who fled the village as a small girl, coincides with the sexual awakening of 17-year-old Nham, through whose eyes the story unfolds. While picturesque on the surface, the country that Quyen dreamed about turns out to be a landscape of poverty, passion and tragedy – though not without pockets of warmth and humor. 

DVD, English subtitles, 116 minutes, color.

The price: $20
The price for libraries and educational institutions: $40

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With obvious influences from Bergman, DeSica and Fellini, female director Viet Linh tells the bittersweet story of a small traveling circus from Hanoi stopping in an impoverished ethnic minority village in Vietnam’s central highlands. Through the eyes of a village youngster, we witness the magic of the circus, and the naïve hope that illusion can be transformed into reality. The Traveling Circus is an extremely realistic, sensitive and moving film, that is rarely shown either in Vietnam or abroad. 

DVD, English subtitles, 74 minutes, color.

The price: $20
The price for libraries and educational institutions: $40

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In America, Nguyen struggle like all immigrants. However, after three years, Nguyen returns home only to be spectator at Thuy’s wedding. Through hardship and sheer luck, Nguyen eventually becomes successful. While in the U.S, Nguyen had a mentor and benefactor, Mr. Nhan. On his deathbed, Mr. Nhan request Nguyen to return to Vietnam to marry his daughter, Le Chi. Nguyen returns to Vietnam to meet Le Chi, but it is surprised by the truth. Nguyen finds himself torn between his love and his obligation to Mr. Nhan.

DVD, English subtitles, 130 minutes, color.

The price: $20
The price for libraries and educational institutions: $40

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During the early Doi Moi (renovation) period a ‘social realism’ style emerged in Vietnamese cinema. Faced with new challenges and opportunities, the movie companies turned their attention away from heroic war stories and began searching for new subjects. "The Gamble" (1993) was one of the first films to fairly honestly portray the social problems of gambling, prostitution and drugs in a non-ideological manner. 

The film in summary: Mai, too proud to ask for government assistance to continue her studies, decides to work at her aunt’s roadside food stall. “I need money desperately”, she says, “Lots of money.” But she soon discovers that working as a waitress on a northern truck route is not only poorly paid, but also demeaning...

DVD, English subtitles, 92 minutes, color.

The price: $20
The price for libraries and educational institutions: $40

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A poor bricklayer, Tong Phuoc Phuc, from Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province, joins a group of “Volunteers” to collect dead fetuses and bodies of children, unclaimed, to bury them in a cemetery on top of a small hill, called Hon Thom, in the village of Xuan Ngoc, Vinh Ngoc District, Khanh Hoa Province.  The bricklayer has found a few surviving children, abandoned by their parents, brought them home and cares for them, hoping that their parents would come look for them one day and send them to schools…

DVD, English subtitles, 37 minutes, color.

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1. Minh Họa Kiều CD # 1: $15
2. Minh Họa Kiều CD # 2: not available
3. Minh Họa Kiều CD # 3: $15
4. Hương Ca 2000 CD: $15
The price for libraries and educational institutions: $30 for each CD.

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