Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor), directed by Tran Buu Loc and Nguyen Le Phuong Khanh, is an homage to áo dài.
On September 26, the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it had chosen Co Ba Sai Gon to represent the country in the qualifying round for the Best Foreign-Language Film category of the upcoming Academy Awards, VietnamNet reports. The film won the most votes from the selection board.
For the Best Foreign-Language Film category, each country can choose one film released in cinemas from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 to send to the Oscars committee. The shortlist will be announced in January next year and the nominees will be announced before the Oscars award ceremony takes place on February 24.
First screened in November 2017 at the Busan International Film Festival, Co Ba Sai Gon became a hit after it came out in Vietnam's theaters, generated a grossing of VND60 billion (US$2.5 million). Set in Saigon in 1969, the movie follows Thanh Mai, an áo dài tailor, and her daughter Nhu Y, whose interest lies in western-style clothing.
In 2017, Co Ba Sai Gon received the Vietnamese Golden Kite Award for Best Feature Film and won two awards at the 20th Vietnam's Film Festival. Vietnam's entry for the same category last year was Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass.
[Photo via YouTube user Studio68]
