Vietnamese movie wins Special Jury Award at 71st Berlinale

"Vi" is the only Vietnamese movie to join the festival, which takes place in two stages, from March 1 to 5 and from June 9 to 20, 2021.

"Vi" is about a Nigerian football player playing in the Vietnamese football league. After he breaks his leg, he is forced to leave the team and find a job in a sex parlour to provide for his wife and son back home.

Bao got the idea for the film years ago based on his high-school memories. At that time, he saw black men on buses while going to school. Bao was obsessed by these men who seemed to have overcome some significant challenges.

First-time filmmaker Bao has composed a delicate, sensory meditation that conjures up many a thought in the viewer's mind.

In "Vi" the actors are amateurs, including the call girls.

Earlier, the film won the "Most Potential Project" award at the Singapore International Film Festival in 2020.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Berlinale has developed a new festival format for its 71st edition and is delighted to thus be able to hold the festival for both the industry and the general public.

From June 9-20, the Summer Special will give the general public the opportunity to see the majority of the 2021 selected films in Berlin cinemas in the presence of filmmakers.