The first trailer for Picturehouse, a Vietnam-Singapore-France-U.S. co-production produced by Bao Nguyen, has been unveiled ahead of the Cannes Film Market—alongside its lead cast.
Directed by Nguyen-Vo Nghiem-Minh, the historical coming-of-age drama draws from the filmmaker’s childhood and is set in 1960s South Vietnam. The story follows an eight-year-old boy who finds refuge in his family’s cinema as war unfolds outside, with the movie house becoming a gateway to imagination, hope, and escape.
Through screenings of Japanese samurai films, Hollywood Westerns, French New Wave titles, and Hong Kong martial arts classics, the boy and his community cling to cinematic worlds far removed from the realities of conflict—highlighting the enduring power of film during times of upheaval.
Vietnamese rising star Tran The Manh leads the film in his first feature role, following appearances in Before The Sea Forgets (Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes) and Ky Nam Inn (Toronto International Film Festival). He is joined by Khazsak, known for The Real Sister, B4S, and Busan award-winner The Land of Morning Calm.
The project marks a reunion between Bao Nguyen and director Minh, who previously collaborated on Nuoc 2030, which opened Berlinale’s Panorama section in 2014. Nguyen serves as executive producer on Picturehouse and is also attending Cannes this year with the Vietnamese short The Dream Is A Snail, which is in competition for the Short Film Palme d’Or.
Describing the film, Minh shared: “It is a fictional story inspired by the lives of the people I grew up with in my grandfather’s cinema. The movie house becomes a place where imagined worlds can exist beyond the war.”
Nguyen added that the film “feels both intimate and epic,” capturing childhood, first love, and the transformative power of cinema. “More than a war story, it’s a love letter to moviegoing and to the memories and people that shape us.”
Picturehouse was shot on location in Vung Tau, the director’s seaside hometown, with cinematography by Nguyen Phan Linh Dan—who will receive the Angénieux Special Encouragement Award at Cannes this year.
