Since its premiere on June 9, the film has been a roaring success. It won awards at the ASEAN International Films Festival and Awards in Malaysia on May 6, including Best Film, Best Actor (Pham Hong Phuoc), and Best Director of Photography (Ly Thai Dung).
The Way Station is adapted from Do Phuoc Tien’s story “Dao cua dan ngu cu” (The Island of Aliens) written in 1992. It was translated into French and English. Writer Nguyen Quang Lap wrote the script in 1996.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Phuoc, a chef’s assistant, who shows the desperation of the search for happiness. Other characters include a Chinese-Vietnamese businessman and his daughter, an Indian-Vietnamese man and a Khmer ethnic from the south of Vietnam.
It takes place in a restaurant called White Night, which is almost a character in itself, observing everyone inside. The film takes the audience through the lives of people who gather in a little village by the sea. It depicts the uncertainty of their journeys to find happiness and meaning.
The Way Station marked actress Hong Anh’s debut as a director.
