A profound sense of loss, longing and rueful self-awareness pervade every minute of a new music video for ‘Canh Chim Trang,’ sung by Pham Thuy Dung.
The video follows an old lady and a young couple through different settings: an empty home, inside a theater, in front of old buildings, and in a bedroom with a window looking out to another window. In each of these scenes, past and present imagery melds together, confusing the viewers’ sense of a linear narrative.
The themes of loss and sacrifice permeate the video, from the young couple’s lifeless expressions to the old lady's wistful glances and the revelation that the old lady’s family members were soldiers who have all passed away.
“The music video is based on a feature film screenplay that I wrote," the video's director, Trieu Quang Huy, tells Urbanist Hanoi. "It tells a story about this old woman who lost everything. She’s still alive today. When I found the right music, I wanted to make this short film/music video to reflect my imagination of how the character and the setting will be like."
As Thuy Dung’s operatic vocals belt out the lyrics, which express a longing for a departed lover and the impossibility of a happy ending, the track eases viewers into one of life's classic grievances — when personal desire remains irreconcilably at odds with reality and lies beyond one's control.
Take a look below:
