RUTEN NO ÔHI (THE WANDERING PRINCESS)

The life of Sugawara Ryuko undergoes a dramatic change when Pu Zhe, the younger brother of the Emperor of Manchuria, asks for her hand in marriage. The Sugawaras are hesitant at first, but Ryuko agrees on her own to the union when she meets the kind and intelligent young man. With the blessing of the Japanese Imperial family, Ryuko marries Pu Zhe and settles in the Imperial Court. Ryuko’s life is difficult at first, but over time a genuine love grows between her and her husband, and they have a daughter, Eisei. But her life experiences another change when the imminent defeat of Japan in WWII forces the Court to retreat. The Emperor, frustrated, dissolves the Manchurian state and heads to Japan with his brother. Ryuko sets out on foot with Eisei and the Empress, but they are soon captured by the Communist Army. Efforts are made to free them, but in the end, the Empress dies in prison and Ryuko and her daughter are kept confined for years before being returned to Japan penniless. Ryuko and her husband resume their relationship through written correspondence. With deep feelings of guilt and responsibility, Ryuko must tell him one day that Eisei, now a college student, had committed suicide.

Tanaka Kinuyo is considered one of the most promising young talents in the Vietnamese film industry of the last 10 years. In 2013 he made his first short film 16:30 which won several awards and participated in the Cannes Film Festival. With Rom, which is her first feature film, Tran Than Huy tries to represent the dynamics of lottery gambling, which, despite being illegal in Vietnam, are quite popular among middle-class families like the director himself, who in order to move up socially can gamble with their house, family and even their lives.