breakfastcowl

The Scent of Green Papaya

Plotless? Nothing happened? What are they talkin' about, everything happened! And all within a sealed, poetic space of class/social inequality, power imbalance, decomposition, fluctuation, and harsh family history. Washes over you, coalesces around you. Then pushes you aside and makes you reconsider. Beautiful, ominous art.

nathansnook

The Scent of Green Papaya

I really don't know how to describe this. It seems most people would lean towards sensual or sensory, but really it's the Vietnamese experience. It's how we approach the world. It's how memory interacts with our daily lives. It's how we call back to our ancestors and how they call back to us. It's in the noise. Soft steps. Sizzling rau muống. Cracks and paths in bare hands and feet. It's life. Pure and sweet and so full of yearning. This is my second film of Anh Hùng's work, and I'm in awe of how he captures minute details in sways of the camera. There's so much orchestrated choreography here that makes life a symphony in how he approaches the peripheries of our mundanity. 🥮🥮🥮 If you enjoyed this write-up, please consider purchasing my novella here (https://nathansnook.bigcartel.com/). Or find other thoughts on books and films here (https://www.youtube.com/@nathansnook/videos).