Tran Anh Hung

Tran Anh Hung (1962-     ) is a world renowned French filmmaker originally from Vietnam.  He was born in Da Nang, Central Vietnam.  After the Fall of Saigon, Tran Anh Hung while at the age of 12 along with his family left their homeland to resettle as refugees in Paris, France.

Tran Anh Hung welcomed the onset of his teenage years in Paris, France where he would later graduate from high school, as well as further his studies at Louis Lumière College, one of the most prestigious French institutions of higher education which specialized in film studies.  For his graduation film project, he directed and wrote a short film production, Nguoi Thieu Nu Nam Xuong.  Tran Anh Hung's making of this short film while still a student filmmaker was based on an an ancient Vietnamese folkloric tale, Truyen Ky Man Luc.  

Poster for The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)

The Scent of Green Papaya, released in 1993, would serve as the true turning point in his career as a filmmaker.  Focused on Vietnamese civilization and modern society during the French colonial days prior to the years ravaged by war, the film was shot entirely in France yet from beginning to end its screenplay was written and performed in the Vietnamese language.  Like his short film graduation project, The Scent of Green Papaya was directed and written by Tran Anh Hung.  It won two of the most coveted prize awards at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, the Camèra d'Or and the Youth French Film Award.  Tran Anh Hung also took home France's other most prestigious film award, a César, which is often referred to as the French equivalent of an Oscar, as Best Debut Filmwork that year. Outside of France, The Scent of Green Papaya would also be given recognition of excellence in several of the world's most developed cinema industries and acclaimed film awards such as the Sutherland Trophy from the British Film Institute and a nomination for an Academy Award as an entry in the category of best foreign language film.  The Oscar nod would also be Vietnam's first and only to date.  The Scent of Green Papaya was both a critical, as well as a commercial success.  It generated a total of $1.7 million USD from worldwide box office sales.  With a total cost in production much lower than the film's generated total gross revenue, The Scent of Green Papaya turned out to be quite profitable.

Tran Anh Hung and Tran Nu Yen Khe

The commercial success of The Scent of Green Papaya allowed Tran Anh Hung to make Cyclo, a film released in 1995 with a much larger production budget depicting the struggles in the lives of laborers in modern day Ho Chi Minh City.  Prominent Hong Kong film actor, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, would star in the film. A soundtrack for this film would also be made with the collaboration of Vietnamese musician, Ton That Tiet, which featured the song, Creep, by Radiohead, as well as a Vietnamese song sung by Vietnamese pop music diva, Thanh Lam.  Cyclo would go on to win the coveted Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival in 1995.   Tran Anh Hung released his third film of his Vietnam trilogy. The Vertical Ray of the Sun, in 2000.

His last two films, I Come with the Rain (2009) and Norwegian Wood (2010), were projects that did not involve storylines pertaining to with Vietnamese culture.  His films have received critical praise from film critics worldwide.  Tran Anh Hung is married to actress, Tran Nu Yen Khe, who had starred in all three previous films in his Vietnam Trilogy.  The couple live in Paris with their two children.