Hair, Paper, Water... (2025) by Nicolas Graux & Minh Quy Truong: A Memory of a Culture

Short Summary: An Ancient Culture's Last Breath This experimental, documentary-style film is a poetic portrait of an elderly Ruc woman, Cao Thị Hậu, the last living link to her tribe's ancient traditions. As she carries out her daily life in a Vietnamese village, she attempts to pass on her endangered language to her grandchildren, all while reminiscing about her childhood home—a cave where her mother’s voice still calls to her.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37538646/

Link Review: https://variety.com/2025/film/global/hair-paper-water-truong-minh-quy-nicolas-graux-1236491073/

About movie: https://www.lightsonfilm.com/hairpaperwater.html

Detailed Summary: A Portrait of Loss and Legacy

• The film, with a runtime of 71 minutes, is a collaborative feature between Vietnamese filmmaker Trương Minh Quý and Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Graux.

• It follows an elderly Ruc woman named Cao Thị Hậu who was born in a cave over 60 years ago and now lives in a village with her family.

• The narrative is less a traditional plot and more a lyrical, sensory experience. The film captures the fleeting moments of Hậu's daily life—the sounds of water, the routines of cooking and farming—while also exploring her memories of her former life in the cave.

• The central conflict is internal and cultural: Hậu is the last person who can pass on her tribe's dying language, Rục, to her grandchildren. Her efforts to preserve her heritage are juxtaposed with her longing for a return to her ancestral home, a cave that holds the echoes of her mother's voice.

• The film is an immersive tapestry of sights and sounds, blending documentary realism with a poetic, almost spiritual quality. It is a quiet meditation on memory, the transmission of culture, and the threat of a way of life being erased.

Director's Vision: The Language of Sensory Cinema

• A Poetic, Collaborative Portrait: The directors’ vision was to create a "wondrously porous distillation of language and memory." They wanted to make a deeply personal and intimate portrait of a woman who represents a culture on the verge of extinction.

• Handmade Intimacy: Shot on a vintage Bolex camera, the film has a raw, textured, and "handmade" quality that reflects its subject matter. The use of this camera was a deliberate choice to capture the "fleeting moments" of her life with a sense of tactility and a connection to the past.

• Blurring Genres: The directors blur the lines between documentary, fiction, and art film. They use sound design to envelop the viewer in the world of the film, making sounds like dripping water, rain, and bats a "second language" that grounds the narrative.

• An Act of Active Resistance: Rather than being an angry or overtly political film, the directors saw it as an act of quiet resistance. By focusing on the preservation of an endangered language and the simple, daily rituals of a woman's life, they are making a statement about the importance of holding onto one's ancestral gifts in the face of fast-paced cultural change.

Themes: Memory, Language, and Endangerment

• The Fragility of Memory: The film explores how memories, like water drops, are precious and easily lost. Hậu's memories of her cave home and her mother's voice are central to the film, but they are also fleeting and at risk of disappearing forever.

• Language as Identity: The film argues that language is the soul of a culture. As Hậu works to transmit the Rục language to her grandchildren, she is not just teaching words but passing on a way of seeing the world and a key part of their identity.

• The Past and Present: The narrative constantly bridges the past (life in the cave) and the present (life in the village), highlighting the tension between tradition and modernity. The film shows how a person can be physically in one place but emotionally and spiritually in another.

Key success factors: Sensory Immersion and Critical Acclaim

• Exceptional Sound Design: Critics have universally praised the film’s sound design, calling it "visually and aurally absorbing." The use of environmental sounds creates a deeply immersive and meditative experience that is a key element of the film's success.

• A Poignant Subject: The film's focus on the story of an elderly Ruc woman facing the decline of her culture is both powerful and timely, resonating with a global conversation about cultural preservation and indigenous rights.

• Festival and Critical Acclaim: The film was selected for the Locarno and New York Film Festivals, and received strong reviews from outlets like The Film Stage and Roger Ebert, cementing its place as a significant art-house film.

Awards and Nominations: A Strong Festival Start

The film had its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival, where it was a strong contender in the main competition. It was also selected for the 63rd New York Film Festival, securing its place as an acclaimed festival film. While a specific award win has not been widely announced, its prestigious festival run is a strong indicator of its quality.

Critics Reception: A Lyrical and Stirring Portrait

• High On Films: The review calls the film a "wondrously porous distillation of language-memory" that is "a stirring portrait of a woman rallying for her dying language." It praises the film's visual and aural texture, noting that its "lyricism... throbs with a life-force which revitalises in itself."

• RogerEbert.com: The review describes the film as a "measured and attuned" film that is "observationally rich and overwhelmingly beautiful." It compares the filmmaking to that of Jonas Mekas and praises the film's "quiet kindness" and "poetic ending."

• Overall Summary: Critics have been highly positive, celebrating the film for its poetic style, stunning cinematography, and its deeply moving exploration of memory and cultural preservation. The film is considered a visually and aurally immersive experience that handles its themes with remarkable sensitivity and grace.

Reviews: Audience Praised Its Emotional Depth

While not widely released, early audience reactions from its festival screenings have been very positive. Viewers praised the film for its emotional depth and its ability to tell a powerful story through quiet observation and sound. The film has been seen as a beautiful and meditative work that is both challenging and rewarding.

Release date on streaming: Expected to Follow Festival Run

A wide streaming release date has not yet been announced. The film is expected to follow its festival circuit run with a release on art-house streaming platforms.

Theatrical Release: A Festival Premiere

The film had its world premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in August 2025. As a specialized art-house film, its theatrical release will likely be limited to select art-house cinemas and film festivals.

Why to recommend movie: For a Unique and Poetic Experience

• For Fans of Experimental Cinema: This film is a must-watch for those who appreciate cinema as a form of art. It rejects conventional narrative in favor of a sensory and poetic journey.

• To Experience a New Kind of Documentary: The film blurs the lines between documentary and fiction, offering a beautiful and intimate look into a real person's life while using the visual language of poetry.

• To Witness a Story of Cultural Preservation: The film's themes of language, memory, and heritage are powerful and universal. It's a moving tribute to a dying culture that feels both personal and important.

Movie Trend: The Sensory Documentary

The film aligns with the growing trend of sensory documentaries, which prioritize aural and visual textures over traditional narrative structures. This genre seeks to immerse the audience in a specific environment and the interior world of its subjects, using sound design and intimate cinematography to create a more visceral and emotional experience.

Social Trend: The Importance of Cultural Heritage

The film taps into the urgent and ongoing social conversation about the importance of cultural heritage and the preservation of endangered languages. It highlights the fragility of these traditions and the quiet heroism of those, like Cao Thị Hậu, who work to pass on their legacy to a new generation in a rapidly changing world.

Final Verdict: A Lyrical and Profound Work of Art

Hair, Paper, Water... is a remarkable and profound film that uses its unique cinematic language to tell a moving and important story. Nicolas Graux and Minh Quy Truong have crafted a lyrical portrait that is both a beautiful tribute to a dying culture and a powerful meditation on memory and identity. Its festival acclaim and strong critical reviews make it a must-see for anyone who appreciates experimental filmmaking and deeply human stories.