INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL

A reluctant Thien must take the body of his sister-in-law, who died in a freak Motorcycle accident in Saigon, and her five-year-old son Dao, who miraculously survived the crash, to their hometown in the countryside.

Thien begins a search for his older brother who vanished years ago to hand Dao over to him. On the road, Thien has a series of sublime dreams and enthralling encounters that reignite suppressed memories and forbidden desires.

Deep in the labyrinth of these phantom pursuits, Thien battles with his own existential crisis of what is worth living for.

  • Thien An PHAM
    Director
  • Thien An PHAM
    Writer
  • Jeremy Chua
    Producer
  • Van Thi TRAN
    Producer
  • Marie Dubas
    Producer
  • Ka Nguyen
    Producer
  • Adrià Monés Murlans
    Producer
  • Phong Vu LE
    Key Cast
  • Thinh NGUYEN
    Key Cast
  • Thi Truc Quynh NGUYEN
    Key Cast
  • Ngoc Manh VU
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    2 hours 57 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 10, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Viet Nam
  • Country of Filming:
    Viet Nam
  • Language:
    Vietnamese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cannes Film Festival 2023
    Cannes
    France
    May 24, 2023
    World Premiere
    Caméra d'Or Winner
  • Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2023
    Karlovy Vary
    Czech Republic
    July 3, 2023
    Czech Premiere
  • Jerusalem Film Festival 2023
    Jerusalem
    Israel
    July 14, 2023
    Israeli Premiere
  • New Horizons International Film Festival 2023
    Wroclaw
    Poland
    July 20, 2023
    Polish Premiere
  • Melbourne International Film Festival 2023
    Melbourne
    Australia
    August 15, 2023
    Australian Premiere
  • San Sebastian Film Festival 2023
    San Sebastian
    Spain
    Spanish Premiere
  • Toronto International Film Festival 2023
    Toronto
    Canada
    North American Premiere
  • Bucharest Film Festival
    Bucharest
    Romania
    September 15, 2023
    Romanian Premiere
  • Hamburg Filmfest
    Hamburg
    Germany
    September 28, 2023
    German Premiere
  • Reykjavík International Film Festival
    Reykjavík
    Iceland
    September 28, 2023
    Icelandic Premiere
  • Busan International Film Festival
    Busan
    Korea, Republic of
    October 4, 2023
    Korean Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Cercamon
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
  • Kino Lorber
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
  • Ama Film
    Distributor
    Country: Greece
    Rights: All Rights
  • Hugoeast
    Distributor
    Country: China
    Rights: All Rights
  • Leopardo Filmes
    Distributor
    Country: Portugal
    Rights: All Rights
  • Nour Films
    Distributor
    Country: France
    Rights: All Rights
  • Sister distribution
    Distributor
    Country: Switzerland
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Thien An PHAM

Thien An Pham is a film director and writer from Vietnam. After graduating in Information Technology, he realized his interest in cinematography and filmmaking by teaching himself how to shoot and edit films.

His short film The Mute has traveled to Palm Springs, Tampere and Uppsala film festivals. His latest short Stay Awake, Be Ready, won the Illy Prize at Directors’ Fortnight 2019 and was screened at numerous festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Locarno Open Doors, Busan and has won other awards.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was born and raised in a peaceful countryside town, where industrial crops production is the major occupation. In this region, most people wake up early in the morning and start their day by attending mass in church. At dusk, they gather to read scripture, pray and give gratitude to God after a long day of labour. There, they dedicate a silent time to their own spirituality.

As a young adult, I went to Saigon to learn and work. Without realizing, I embarked in a meaningless, tiresome, repetitive race to earn money and achieve success. Except that I came face to face with nothing but disappointment, confusion and insecurity. To escape, I felt the necessity of becoming more lucid and true to myself. It led me to struggle against the prejudices and empty temptations that dragged me into this endless circle in the first place.

With Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, I want to examine how a man’s physical journey to his hometown leads him to reconnect with his past. This homecoming reveals his internal conflict between a faith he neglected and a life which makes him deeply unsatisfied.

The journey reflects dimensions of the human soul, something that we constantly seek for but that can’t ever fully reach, something connected to our dreams, our passions and the inevitability of death.

I believe that we all look towards spiritually to overcome the hustle of superficial modern society.

Whether one believes in God or not, one can’t avoid questioning who one is, and who one is living for.