Special Screening: The Vertical Rays of the Sun

ABOUT THE FILM
“The Vertical Ray of the Sun” is the story of three sisters who live close to each other in present-day Hanoi. On the anniversary of their mother’s death, the sisters meet at Suong’s café to pray, prepare the memorial meal and greet their relatives. Throughout the day, they are seen to have an intense and playful complicity, sharing laughter and seeking one another’s advice on every subject, even the most intimate. Yet, each one of them has a secret.

Tran Anh Hung studied at the prestigious École Louis-Lumière film school in France, where he quickly honed his natural cinematic talent. His early promise was evident in his 1987 short filmLa Femme Mariée de Nam Xuong (Nguoi Thieu Phu Nam Xuong). Not long after, he achieved critical acclaim with The Scent of Green Papaya, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 1994. His subsequent works—including Cyclo, Vertical Ray of the Sun, I Come with the Rain and Norwegian Wood—continued to garner both artistic and commercial success. His most recent film, The Taste of Things (Muon Vi Nhan Gian), was widely praised and earned him the Best Director award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

Tran Anh Hung’s distinctive filmmaking style eschews conventional storytelling structures, instead appealing to audiences through a deeply sensory and emotive approach. His focus on body language and psychological depth allows his films to transcend barriers of language, culture and time, securing his place as one of the most revered auteurs in contemporary cinema.

Tony Bui is a Sundance award-winning writer, director, and producer. He is currently Artist-in-Residence at Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute and teaches in Columbia’s School of the Arts graduate film program.

His films include Yellow Lotus, Three Seasons, Green Dragon, and The Throwaways. His short film, Yellow Lotus, was the first Vietnamese language film to be screened at the Sundance Film Festival and received over 15 national and international festival awards.

His feature film debut, Three Seasons, was the first American-Vietnamese co-production to be filmed entirely in Vietnam. The film received the Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, and Best Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival, along with two Independent Spirit Awards nominations. Three Seasons was also Vietnam’s official entry to the Oscars, where it was shortlisted.

In 2024, Three Seasons was showcased once again at the Sundance Film Festival, chosen as one of ten films from the festival’s four decade history to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Tony is a recipient of the Humanitas Prize and an alumnus of the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriting and Directing Labs. He has written and developed projects for HBO, Warner Bros., and NBC.

Tony previously served on the Board of Directors of Film Independent for seven years and is currently on the Global Advisory Board of Fulbright University Vietnam.

As Artist-in-Residence at Columbia, Tony has brought filmmakers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, global activists, and more to the campus as guest speakers to engage in vital conversations about the role of artists and truth seekers.

In the summer of 2024, in partnership with the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Tony held public talks in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Beijing. These events, titled Conversations in Storytelling: Regional Voices, Global Impact, brought together notable filmmakers in each city for discussions on the role and significance of regional storytelling in today’s world.

Tony’s next narrative feature film is based on Nick Ut’s iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning “Napalm Girl” photo from the Vietnam War.