When Autumn Sunlight Comes

(Khi Nắng Thu Về)
Vietnam 2007
97 min / 35mm color
Vietnamese with English subtitles
*Contains mature contents.
Viewer discretion advised

In this gripping tale based in modern-day Vietnam, director Bui Trung Hai takes the audience on a
journey full of unexpected twists and turns, as he brings to life the characters of young people who
struggle with the familiar themes of love, betrayal, friendship, dysfunctional family dynamics, and a
host of other trappings within a frantic, often cut-throat society.
Khi Nắng Thu Về centers around Trung (played by Vu Huy Trinh), an ambitious recent university graduate,
who just cannot seem to shake a string of unfortunate events that had forced him away from a
promising career as a broadcast journalist to the mean streets of Hanoi as a xe ôm operator. As his
professional career falters, so does his personal life, as he has to cope with an ailing mother, an
irresponsible younger brother, and a girlfriend who has left him in his darkest hours.
As quickly as he loses love, Trung finds it again in the most unlikely of circumstances when he meets Ha
(played by Kieu Anh), the owner of the bar where he frequents. Things finally seem to take a turn for
the better as Ha helps Trung get back on his feet. But as luck would have it, happiness again does not
last long for Trung when yet another tragic event intervenes, this time striking Ha.
Nominated for a Golden Kite Award in Vietnam, Khi Nắng Thu Về is Bui Trung Hai’s directorial debut
following his long and celebrated career as a cinematographer. With a provocative storyline,
combined with cutting-edge camera techniques and the distinctive style of a director who is not
afraid to chart his own path, this film will leave the audience talking long after the curtains come down.
- Tran Tuong Huy

PRODUCER:
Vietnam Feature Film Company
DIRECTOR / WRITER:
Bui Trung Hai
CINEMATOGRAPHER:
Pham Vi Linh
SOUND:
Banh Bac Hai
MUSIC:
Trong Dai
EDITOR:
Nguyen Thuy Binh
MAIN CAST:
Vu Huy Trinh, Nguyen Kieu Anh