2023 Cannes Festival Award Winning Debut Feature from Vietnam Now Available (Only) on DVD

DIRECTED BY PHAM THIEN AN/VIETNAMESE/2023

DVD STREET DATE: MARCH 19, 2024/KINO LORBER

In the video clip below, I share my thoughts about Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, a Vietnamese film that premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and took home the Camera d’Or Award, given each year to the outstanding feature-length debut (as determined by the festival jury.) Part of the review has to do with the film’s presentation for home media, as it was only issued in the DVD format – a marketing decision that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me (unless perhaps there are plans for some other label to issue the film on Blu-ray or 4K UHD at some future date).

I also have some critiques for the film’s content, in particular its overly self-satisfied runtime of 178 minutes, many of them dedicated to static long takes that could have been substantially trimmed without much sacrifice to mood, tone, or advancement of the narrative.) And though I appreciate the encounter with a young artist who seems highly assured of his ability to take on weighty subject matter, I felt dismayed at the film’s conclusion, with a sense of being promised more than was actually delivered.

Despite these reservations, I still found things to appreciate and enjoy about Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell – a unique opportunity to observe contemporary Vietnamese life in both urban and rustic settings, thoughtfully presented questions about faith, purpose, and meaning as seen through an Asian Catholic lens, numerous striking visual compositions, and a well-trained eye for capturing intriguing details of beauty in nature. I recognize the appeal that this film (and director Pham Thien An’s meditative style of cinema craft) has to many viewers, and this is a disc that I’m happy to have in my home video library, as his early success bodes well for future efforts and will probably be worth revisiting someday. At the DVD price point, it’s not asking much from collectors to place it on their shelves, but for those who are curious to see it without making the purchase, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is also available on the fledgling KinoFilm Collection streaming service. 

This video is the second of a five-part series focusing on recent home video releases of international films by Kino Lorber. 

DVD Extra:

  • Theatrical Trailer