'Mang Me Di Bo': The intersection of Vietnam and Korea in family love

Tatler Asia

20 hours ago

Vietnamese-Korean intersection in an incomplete story about family
In an era where Vietnamese cinema leans towards fast-paced narratives, clear tastes and easily shared elements, Mang Me Di Bo takes a different path: one of restraint, minimalism and trust in reality. This Vietnam-Korea collaboration goes beyond simply inviting foreign directors or international actors as a marketing tactic. Instead, the influence of director Mo Hong Jin and the Vietnamese team is evident in their shared aesthetic and rhythm from editing and sound design to lighting and acting style.
Above From the most familiar everyday scenes on Saigon's bustling streets...
Above From the most familiar everyday scenes on Saigon's bustling streets...
Above ...to the dreamlike autumn landscapes of the Republic of Korea
In Mang Me Di Bo , Tuan Tran portrays Hoan, a sidewalk barber living with his elderly mother, who has Alzheimer's, Le Thi Hanh, played by artist Hong Dao. Both are locked in an ongoing struggle: Hoan is a dutiful yet weary son, while his mother, teetering between love and control, slowly loses her memory but clings to old habits instinctively. Their journey to Korea to meet her half-brother, alongside moments when she drifts back to joyful times with her husband (played by Jung Il-woo), are distinct yet deeply interwoven within the film's narrative.
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Supporting them is a close-knit group of friends including Tuan (Quoc Khanh), Anh Dung (Hai Trieu), Chau (Lam Vy Da) and Minh (Vinh Rau), characters who bring simple, everyday hues to the story, helping the film strike a balance between heaviness and lightness, tension and ease.
Above The film's plot alternates between the present and the past, both untangling the knots for the audience and skillfully guiding their emotions
Above The film's plot alternates between the present and the past, both untangling the knots for the audience and skillfully guiding their emotions
Instead of following a linear script filled with dramatic twists, the film opts for a daily rhythm, portraying the repetitive, familiar actions of caring for a patient in a simple yet realistic way. The film's space is confined by a fixed camera angle, cold lighting and minimalist sound. Only the unconscious humming of the mother with Alzheimer's breaks the silence, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere as if the character herself is trapped.
The audience is not led by music or explanatory dialogue. Instead, everything unfolds as a series of seemingly meaningless actions that reveal the characters' psychological states: frustration, exhaustion and a gradual loss of connection.
Above The film opts for a daily rhythm, portraying the repetitive, familiar actions of caring for a patient in a simple yet realistic way
The presence of Korean actor Jung Il Woo as Le Thi Hanh's late husband is not to create a 'saviour' effect or to balance the film's nationalities. His character brings moments of sweetness to viewers weighed down by frustration, guiding the audience through the seamless emotional journey the film offers.
Above Mang Me Di Bo avoids familiar formulas such as emphasising sacrifice, tears or regret
Although it explores family, a theme often considered 'easy to create sympathy' in Vietnamese cinema, Mang Me Di Bo avoids familiar formulas such as emphasising sacrifice, tears or regret. It does not tell a grand story but captures a state: people living side by side whose shared memories fade and whose connections become unclear. Within these dead ends, the noblest aspects of family love, friendship and even human compassion emerge, cherished amid the dust of harsh reality. 'Mang Me Di Bo': Vietnamese film and the journey beyond the comfort zone in family themes
One of Mang Me Di Bo 's clearest choices is to avoid idealising family relationships, presenting them instead in the most thorny, realistic way. The emotions in the film are not fixed but ever-shifting, contradictory and sometimes vanishing. Hoan (Tuan Tran) is not portrayed as a 'good' or 'bad' son. He carries fatigue, helplessness and moments of wanting to leave the mother he once loved. The mother (played by Hong Đao) is not framed as a 'weak old woman in need of protection': she forgets, repeats and unconsciously exerts control like someone unable to let go of her old role and the torment of being a 'bad mother.'
Above One of Mang Me Di Bo's clearest choices is to avoid idealising family relationships, presenting them instead in the most thorny, realistic way
The supporting cast in Mang Me Di Bo serve not only as 'relievers' but also maintain the emotional rhythm of the story. Characters such as Hai Trieu, Lam Vy Da, Vinh Rau and Quoc Khanh are portrayed with distinct personalities and everyday dialogue, bringing gentle humour at the right moments, enough to ease tension without undermining the film's tone.
Their humour does not come from forced jokes but from their clearly drawn characters: kind, sincere urban friends who may be clumsy but are always present in difficult times. They are not simply 'supporting characters to provide relief' but play an important role in developing the plot, reflecting the main character's social choices: when family ties grow weary, friends often offer the most comfortable and understanding support.
Above Their humour does not come from forced jokes but from their clearly drawn characters
When the story concludes without a neat ending but with echoes of unspoken answers, Mang Me Di Bo offers an invitation: look back on your family, through the fatigue, to understand that love, whether diminished or broken, remains profoundly precious if you are still together.
The film will be shown at CJ CGV Vietnam cinemas from 1 August 2025.
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Credits
Images: Fanpage 'Mang Me Di Bo'