Hair, Paper, Water...(Vietnamese: Tóc, Giấy và Nước...), is a 2025 documentary film written and directed by Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Graux and Vietnamese director Trương Minh Quý. The film shot on 16mm is a series of 'snapshots' of the life of an elderly Vietnamese lady and her large extended family with a focus on capturing moments and memories.[1]
The film was shot on a vintage Bolex camera over three years. It is produced by Julie Freres at Dérives and Petit Chaos, with co-production from WIP and Lagi films. It received support from Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Ciclic Région Centre-Val de Loire, Procirep, Angoa, Media, Wallonie, Pictanovo, and Brouillon d’un rêve de la Scam.[4]
It is also selected to compete in the Official Competition section of the 2025 BFI London Film Festival for the best film award and have screening on 11 October 2025.[9][10]
The international sales of the film is managed by the Italian distribution company Lights On, who have acquired the international rights in July 2025.[11]
Reception
In his review at Locarno, Marc van de Klashorst of the International Cinephile Society rated the film with 3.5 stars out of five and praised the photography writing "film’s gorgeous 16mm photography might lure a wider group of people." Concluding his review Klashorst opined that since there are only a few hundred Rục left "the film will be all that lasts as a memory of a culture, and for that we have to thank Truong and Graux."[12] David Katz of Cineuropa praising the duo directors Nicolas Graux and Trương Minh Quý wrote that they have co-directed a "pensively beautiful documentary miniature focusing on an elderly Vietnamese lady and her large extended family."[13]
