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The Feast

A middle-class woman recalls the difficult decision to give up her 5-year lucrative career as a chicken slaughterer.

  • Le Bui
    Director
  • Scott Green
    Executive Producer
  • Le Bui
    Executive Producer
  • Viet Ngo
    Producer
  • Le Thi Binh
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Mâm Cỗ
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 12 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Viet Nam
  • Country of Filming:
    Viet Nam
  • Language:
    Vietnamese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Le Bui

Le is currently working on "Uncovered," the first-of-its-kind docuseries in Asia. The first episode "The Feast" was recently completed and stays on its own as an individual film with a complete story.

After completing his film degree in Texas and working as a commercial video editor in New York City for a year, Le found his true calling in documentary filmmaking. Returning to Vietnam in late 2018 after five years abroad, he rediscovered the immense cinematic beauty in the everyday Vietnamese life, which he had unfortunately overlooked during his entire childhood. This premise led Le to make his directorial debut with the short documentary "Saigon Still Stories" in 2020. The film follows a Belgian photographer to experience Saigon through his eyes. "The Feast" is Le's second short film and biggest project to date.

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Director Statement

Imagine slitting the throat of a squawking struggling chicken with his blood pouring all over the floor. Would the chicken pho we eat every day still taste good? I firmly believe that most people in our modern society are incapable of slaughtering livestock themselves for one simple reason: this action is too horrifying, cruel, and haunting. That is my key motivation to make "The Feast."

Of course, one's morality is subject to one's standards and values. Watching "The Feast," viewers can realistically step into the world of those who slaughter animals for a living to feel what they go through. However, the decision on what to do after absorbing this information is entirely up to each individual. Cinema should not be used to criticize, fight, or force others to change their lifestyles.

I am tremendously grateful to have encountered Binh, a middle-aged woman who used to work as a freelance caterer for five years during the 1990s. "The Feast" is Binh's sincere and profound reflection on her past career, the critical moments driving her to quit the job, and her current love for farm animals.