Chí Công’s directorial debut, Good Morning and Good Night. On a seemingly ordinary morning, indie musician, Tâm (Hoàng Quốc Hà), unexpectedly forms a deep connection with Thanh (Trần Lê Thúy Vy), a rideshare driver who challenges his view of life, love, and art. Through several musical numbers, this unusual musical presents a fresh take on Vietnamese modernity and youth as Thanh and Tâm meander the streets of Saigon singing songs about hopes, dreams and the profound mistakes they have made.

Taking romantic inspiration from Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy (1995-2013), this is an assured first feature from Chung, who previously worked in branding and advertising before dedicating himself to filmmaking by co-founding Saigon-based 30 Pictures with film editor Phạm Thanh Tân. Both Chung and Phạm worked on the studio’s inaugural feature, the romantic drama Nhắm Mắt Thấy Mùa Hè (Summer in Closed Eyes) (VFF 2018).

The film’s largely indie soundtrack includes 15 songs from eleven different composers and lyricists – many of whom are instrumental figures in Vietnamese indie music. Several of these numbers were preexisting but others, such as the title song (composed by the film’s music director Phạm Hải Âu, lyrics by Chung), are original compositions. – Thy Tran