Hair, Paper, Water...

In the Vietnamese documentary Hair, Paper, Water…, you step into an unknown world where even a falling drop of water can be heard. The two directors, the Belgian Nicolas Graux and the Vietnamese Trương Minh Quý, follow Cao Thị Hậu – born in a cave sixty years ago – as she teaches her grandchildren the endangered Rục language: word by word, memory by memory. It is cinema as transmission – intimate, patient and tender. An everyday gesture takes on as much significance as a life lesson.Filmed on 16mm, the film feels homemade, with grainy images that make time tangible. The sound is essential: the rustling of leaves, mud and dripping water create an acoustic score that engages the senses. The focus shifts from intimate observation to quiet emotion as family ties span generations. Plants, remedies and everyday actions take on meaning as aids to memory. The result is a poetic, tactile family portrait in which language and culture remain alive.DIRECTORS: NICOLAS GRAUX, TRƯƠNG MINH QUÝ; GENRE: DOCUMENTARY; 2026; VIETNAM, BELGIUM, FRANCE; 1H 11M; SPOKEN IN VIETNAMESE, WITH DUTCH AND FRENCH SUBTITLES