Moon at the Bottom of the Well

A poetic and beautifully photographed film that follows the fate of a young woman, Hanh. This charming teacher lives in a beautiful area in central Vietnam and is married to Phuong, the rather older headmaster of the school. She is a devoted wife and he is a demanding man. Apparently they form an ideal couple. Hanh sacrifices herself entirely and, when it becomes apparent she is infertile, she agrees that Phuong should father a child with another woman. This largely happens at the insistence of her mother-in-law, who adheres to the continuation of the family line. The secret solution to ensure offspring becomes a problem when the secret leaks out and the position of the headmaster is questioned. To prevent problems, Hanh divorces her husband and he marries the mother of the child. Hanh suffers her fate with increasing resignation and bonds with the child of her ex-husband.
But even her resilience has its limits. Slowly she breaks down. She seems increasingly influenced by another world, one of spirits and the dead.
The director tells his story with the patience of his protagonist. He watches respectfully as the fate of Hanh weighs upon her more and more, until she seems to be pushed out of the real world. Even then she carries on serving, only she doesn’t serve human potentates any more. (GjZ)

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