After a dangerous sea crossing and a stay in a camp in Malaysia, the young Vietnamese Tinh and her family are accepted as refugees in Canada and arrive in Montreal where they begin their new life. But for Tinh, adapting has its share of difficulties.
Acting
Chloé Djandji's silent rebellion speaks volumes.
Cinematography
White Montreal vs. warm memory-flashbacks—stunning contrast.
Writing
Adapts Kim Thúy's poetic novel without losing its breath.
Director
Charles-Olivier Michaud
Chloé Djandji
Tinh
Chantal Thuy
Nguyen
Jean Bui
Minh
Xavier Nguyen
Duc
Patrice Robitaille
Normand Girard
Karine Vanasse
Lisette Girard
Mali Corbeil-Gauvreau
Johanne Girard
Benoît Mauffette
Jean Girard
Eugénie Beaudry
Louise Girard
Jean-Marc Dalphond
Robert Girard
Richard Fréchette
Paul Girard
Marie-Thérèse Fortin
Jeannine
Julie De Lafrenière
Marie-France
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title 'Ru' means 'lullaby' in Vietnamese but also evokes the French 'ru' (stream)—a perfect bilingual metaphor for the film's flow between worlds.
Author Kim Thúy drew from her own 1979 boat journey; director Michaud spent years securing funding partly because distributors feared 'another refugee story' wouldn't sell.
CA
