Metrograph

“In the aftermath of the ‘Christmas bombing’ of Hanoi in December 1972, young Ngọc Hà (Lan Hương) searches through the city’s rubble for her missing family. Shot in neorealist style by Hải Ninh, a graduate of the first directing class of the Vietnam Cinema School, this classic wartime propaganda film was inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience sheltering with his daughter during the 12-day bombardment, and witnessing a little girl who was saved from the bombings and cared for by her neighbors—told remarkably through the rare use of a child’s voiceover.” —Minh Nguyen