Three Seasons – Film Screening and Post-Screening Talk

Saturday, August 3th, 2024

[In-person] The Hong Kong Jockey Club Hall, Asia Society Hong Kong Center

14:45 Registration

15:00 Film screening

17:00 Discussion & Q&A

18:30 Reception

19:30 End

ASHK member price: HKD80

Non-member price: HKD100

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Asia Society Hong Kong Center is proud to present a screening of Three Seasons, directed by the award-winning writer and filmmaker Tony Bui. Set against the bustling backdrop of post-war Ho Chi Minh City, the 1999 film weaves together four distinct stories of individuals navigating love, loss, hope and inevitable change as they negotiate with a world caught between the remnants of war and the onslaught of modernization.

Since its initial release, Three Seasons has been praised for the intimate and complex perspectives it offered into the lives of Ho Chi Minh City residents as they grappled with the changing of the times, receiving the Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, and Best Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival and two Independent Spirit Awards nominations. In 2000, Three Seasons was also shortlisted for the Oscars as Vietnam's official entry.

In 2024, Three Seasons was digitally restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative and original master 4-track stereo.

Director's Statement on the Restoration:

"The long and emotional journey to restore the film isn't just about preserving the film, but about bringing it back to life to share this timeless story of love, loss, and hope after the Vietnam War for generations to come."

Following the screening of the film, Dr Wilfred Wong, Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, will join the post-screening discussion, along with filmmaker Derek Tsang, and Writer, Director, and Producer Tony Bui. Together they will discuss the significance of this film and the filmmakers' role in storytelling in today's society.

About Three Seasons:

A young girl, hired to work a lotus pond, comes to the aid of a reclusive master;

A cyclo driver becomes obsessed with a proud and ambitious prostitute;

A young boy hustles lighters, gum, and cheap watches on the streets;

An American Vietnam vet searches for the daughter he never knew.

Their disparate, intertwining lives struggle to find identity, human connection, and meaning in a country caught in between its dark past and its uncertain future.