Vietnamese cinemas profile has been on the rise at major international film festivals of late. Debut director Phm Thin n won Cannes Camra dOr prize in 2023 with his meditative drama Inside the Yellow Cacoon Shell, and Trng Minh Qu brought the country back to the French festival this year with the well-received romantic drama Viet and Nam. Next up, the 81st Venice Film Festival, opening Aug. 28, will add a strong female voice to this budding Vietnamese new wave with the premiere of Dont Cry, Butterfly, directed by another first-timer, Dng Diu Linh.

A metaphysical drama (see its first trailer, below), the new film follows Tam (L T Oanh), a diligent middle-aged wedding venue worker who learns that her husband has been cheating on her when a live TV broadcast of a soccer match catches him on camera in the stands with his mistress. Determined to win back her husbands heart but reluctant to confront him, she instead turns to a powerful spell master. Tams 20-year-old daughter, Ha, pours her frustrations from home into vivid fantasies of a brighter future abroad. Meanwhile, a mysterious house spirit, visible only to the women, lurks beneath their cracked leaky ceiling. As the strange encounters gradually become more frequent, the women move forward on a path to self-discovery. Dont Cry, Butterfly builds upon Linhs promising past work in the short film form Adults Dont Say Sorry, Mother, Daughter, Dreams andSweet, Salty all featuring what she calls an unconventional depiction of sad, angsty and naggy middle-aged Vietnamese women.

Presented by Momo Film Co, Dont Cry, Butterfly was produced by Tan Si En (Momo Film Co), Wilfredo C. Manalang (FUSEE) and Nguyn Mai Ka (Kalei Films). Yulia Evina Bhara (KawanKawan Media) is a co-producer. The movie also received support from the Hong Kong-Asia Financing Forum (HAF), where it won both the Udine Focus Asia and Wouter Barendrect awards.

Dont Cry, Butterfly will premiere in Venices Critics Weeksidebar section on Sept. 3. Korean company Barunson EA is handling all international sales on the title.