Five
Ten
Fifteen
Twenty
One's eyes are shut, the others hide
In the heart he locked himself tight
Between frames
She's been kept out of sight
A hundred, eyes open, looking for the moon
It rises above, she's in the blind spot
What do you have here?
- Give it back!
- Nope!
Give it back!
Give it back!
Give it back to me now!
Father!
Look what I found.
Come on, give it back to me!
Give it back!
No, Father says what's yours is also mine!
No, give it to me!
Stop it, both of you!
Have I taught you two nothing?
Go to your room!
Hey!
You are the big sister.
You'd better yield.
Yes, Father!
Father!
I must have heard something.
Go back to your room!
And no matter what you hear,
do not come out. Alright?
Yes!
Lies, betrayal, loneliness
and endless suffering
How do you feel about it, Linh?
Well,
I think this piece represents
the loneliness
and sadness of the artist's own life.
Hence, it's far more realistic
and relatable.
It's in great contrast
to his earlier works.
I'm also a fan of this piece.
Hello?
Why haven't you picked up my calls today?
Oh, I've been swamped today.
I didn't get a chance to check my phone.
But what's going on, Mom?
Last night
I dreamt of Hang coming back home.
She told me "Mama Trinh,
please make me a tapioca drink."
I miss hearing her voice so much.
You know that I also miss her.
But please stop overthinking!
Whenever I get some free time,
I will find a way
to contact her again, okay?
I have to get back to work now.
I'll see you at home this weekend.
Alright then, take care of yourself, dear!
Yes, Mom!
Hi, what's up, Thanh?
Hey, Linh, have you heard yet?
Kiet he's dead!
His body was found the other night
at the swimming pool.
People from school
will go to his funeral this Friday.
If you want to join us,
I'll text you the address.
Linh!
I heard that
when they found him his body was bloated.
His face was already deformed.
His parents couldn't even recognize him.
It's awful. Poor him!
Hang!
How have you been?
I have tried to
reach out to you many times.
Nothing much, just the same old me.
You haven't changed so much either.
Looking as beautiful as always.
Where do you live now?
Why are you taking the bus?
I'm living in Dong Nai now.
You won't believe this.
Where I'm staying now
once belonged to Le Chanh.
Le Chanh?
You mean the legendary painter
from the French colonial period?
Right.
I'm copying some of his paintings,
and in return I can stay there for free!
What about you?
Are you working on anything?
I don't paint anymore.
I'm working at a gallery these days.
Meeting new people every day
is quite interesting.
How about
coming to visit my place for a few days?
Many of Le Chanh's original works
are still there.
I promised to see my mom today.
Oh.
And she always asks about you.
How about going home with me today?
Having dinner with her would be nice.
Well, maybe another time.
I'm glad that we got to see
each other today.
The past two years,
I really missed our times together,
with you and Mama Trinh.
Anyway, you have my new phone number.
Call me anytime then.
Hey What's wrong? Are you okay?
Probably just tired
from the long bus trip.
Don't worry.
I'm used to it.
Uhm.
I'm sorry for bothering you.
It's such a long way.
Not a problem.
It's good to know where you live
so I can visit you more often.
But why
did you leave so suddenly back then?
Are you sure everything is okay?
I'm fine.
But I wish
you could stay with me tonight.
We haven't seen each other in a long time.
I have lots of stuff to share with you.
So, let me call Mom.
I can visit her tomorrow
once you feel better.
Sound good?
Okay.
Here we go!
I'll definitely get better
now you're here.
Too bad it's a touch cloudy today.
It usually looks amazing in the sunlight.
I often come here to paint.
This area seems a bit deserted, right?
I haven't seen anyone else around.
That's right. People here
usually stay home when it's dusk.
It's not like living in the city.
Hey.
There's a local market over there.
But they only gather in the morning.
Have you really stayed here
for the past year?
This place was built
in the French colonial period.
Wait until we get inside, you'll love it!
Come in!
These are all Le Chanh's original works.
What do you think?
What was it you used to say
about his paintings?
Remember?
Anyone who gets to see
Le Chanh's paintings
can somehow relate to
and see themselves in his works.
Linh!
Come! Say hi to the host!
Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
Ms. Dieu,
Linh's been a close friend
of mine since I was back in the city.
She came to visit me.
Why didn't you tell me
that you have such a beautiful friend?
Ma'am,
may I ask if you'll let Linh
stay with me tonight?
It's been so long since we last met.
Of course, it's just the two of us here.
Feel free to stay as long as
you want my dear.
Thank you so much.
Take a seat, please!
I have never seen you smoke.
When did you start?
That's probably
why you keep coughing, right?
Relax!
Can't die just yet!
What are you talking about?
I've been into abstract art for a while.
I was lucky
that Ms. Dieu loved my style.
How is she related to Le Chanh?
Why does she live alone?
I heard she's a distant relative
who inherited this place.
Last year, my paintings were displayed
at a small exhibition
and she contacted me.
Money is easy to make,
but what's more important to me
is to leave something behind
and to be remembered forever.
Just like Le Chanh,
he's dead
but you still want to come
and see his works.
You're probably hungry.
Let me cook something for us.
Come on
you should rest, let me do it.
Okay!
I put everything in the fridge.
You go to the living room,
the kitchen is on the left.
Okay, get some rest!
What happened?
I think those eggs have been here
a long time and gone bad.
And there's no food in the fridge either.
That's weird.
I remember I just stocked up yesterday.
It's okay.
We still have another pack of noodles.
Wait for me outside, I'll be quick.
There you go, let's eat!
Facebook just reminded me
about this day a few years ago.
- Stop!
- But now, we have lost someone already.
Well, here you go!
Don't post my photos on Facebook anymore!
It's not only you mister,
I'm filming Hang as well.
- Shut up!
- Come on, let me take a photo of you two!
What about you?
Linh! Smile!
One, two, three.
You should eat.
It's getting mushy.
Tomorrow morning before I leave,
I'll go buy some food for you, okay?
Sure.
I'm done. I'll turn in now.
Just help yourself to anything
from my wardrobe.
Leave it to me. Just go rest.
Uhm.
Your cocktail, beauty!
It tastes nice,
but
will it get me drunk?
I'm not good at drinking.
I might behave badly.
Well, I have to disagree with you.
I think
when you're drunk,
you look even more beautiful.
Do you often lose the power here?
Just sometimes.
VILLA OF LE CHANH MARCH 5TH, 1936
This house used to look so nice.
I like it better this way.
It's aged,
but you can almost feel its soul.
NGUYEN AND I MARCH 12TH, 1946
NGUYEN AT "THE-BEAUTY-OF-MUOI" PORTRAIAUGUST 24TH, 1946
Who's this man?
Nguyen is a good friend of Le Chanh.
He was also a painter back then.
I don't think I have seen
any of his works.
He didn't have that many popular works.
That portrait is his last piece.
Hey.
Have you heard about the myth of Muoi?
In the old days,
Nguyen was a poor painter,
but he was handsome and talented.
By chance, he met
an orphaned village girl called Muoi.
He painted for her a portrait,
and then they fell in love.
He got for them a pair
of matching rings to seal their love.
Unfortunately, not long after that,
Muoi found out Nguyen was engaged to Hong,
the daughter of a wealthy land owner.
After discovering their affair,
Hong brought some men to Muoi's home
and tortured her.
She broke Muoi's leg,
poured acid on her destroying her face.
Muoi suffered great pain
and couldn't bear living anymore.
She decided to take her own life
on the full moon night of lunar July.
And then what?
Because of social ethics,
Nguyen had to stay with Hong.
But in his heart, there was only Muoi.
Too bad for them!
Hang!
Hang!
Hang!
Let me go!
Hang! What's wrong with you?
Gosh! Seems like you have a fever.
Do you have any pills here?
Ms. Dieu!
Ms. Dieu, hello?
Ma'am, may I ask
if there is a pharmacy nearby?
Can I have two ounces of meat please?
40,000 dong. The only store is over there!
Thank you.
Excuse me, ma'am!
Ma'am?
- What are you after?
- I need something to cool down a fever.
And also,
my friend keeps coughing non-stop.
Fever
I can see that you are not a local.
Are you just passing by?
Yes ma'am, I'm visiting a friend.
Just nearby.
Steam with this herb
three times to reduce fever or flu.
50,000 dong.
There you go, thank you.
You must leave that place!
Don't wake Muoi up! Get out of there now!
Please excuse me!
Ms. Dieu
Where have you been the whole morning?
Well, I was at the market
to buy medicine for Hang.
You shouldn't be out alone.
You don't know the area,
it's easy to get lost.
Yes ma'am.
How do you know Hang?
We went to high school together.
Hang's parents d*ed when she was a kid.
My mom took a shine to Hang
and asked her to live with us.
Then why did she come here by herself?
Well fortunately she has you now,
which makes me worry less.
We first heard of Le Chanh
when we were in art school.
But only today did
I learn he has two daughters,
looking so alike.
They must be twins right?
Alike in looks,
but totally different in personality.
So, where are they now?
They are dead!
I'm bored.
Maybe I'll skip this assignment,
can't find the mood to do it.
Hey
Who are you texting?
You seem a bit weird recently.
Weird how?
- Who is it?
- No one.
- Come on, spill it!
- I said no one.
One!
- Two!
- No.
Three!
Alright, I'm texting a guy.
Hey, try to get up and steam a bit.
I told you I didn't need it.
Listen to me, I've already prepared it.
But have you seen a doctor?
I have never seen you this skinny before.
I'm fine.
I don't bother anyone.
Stay as I like.
Or leave whenever I want.
Do you remember those paintings
that we painted together,
back in art school?
I still keep them at home.
Also our room
it's stayed the same.
Mom cleans it every week.
And she says
"We'll wait for Hang
to come home one day."
And me too.
I hope that one day,
you will come home.
We can have our room again.
What happened that year
actually I also
I'm hungry.
Let me get you some soup.
Here it is.
Thank you.
You've come all the way here for me
but I'm just too sick.
No problem.
I'm glad that you feel better.
Anyway, I should get going,
to catch the next bus back to Saigon.
But Linh, didn't you have something
to tell me?
How about staying here one more night?
We can talk it through.
And then,
we can be close again
just like the old days.
Can't we, Linh?
Alright, I'll stay one more night then.
Eat up and get some rest!
Dad said not to tell a soul.
Get out!
Get out!
Get out!
Get out!
Open!
Open the door!
Open the door!
Open!
Get out!
Hang!
What's happening to you?
Hang!
Why didn't you tell me?
Ms. Dieu!
Something's wrong with Hang, Ms. Dieu!
Linh! Run!
Run away!
Linh!
Follow me!
Gosh!
Did you remove the cloth
from Muoi's painting?
For many years,
I have been taking care of this painting,
as a way to restrain this terrible curse.
Thanks to you,
we can no longer hide away from it.
But I don't get it,
what curse are you talking about?
How does it hurt Hang like this?
Each year,
during the full moon night of lunar July,
Muoi shall come back
and take another life.
I believe
the spirit of Muoi has left the portrait
and possessed Hang's body.
Her signals of possession are so clear.
So
what should we do now?
There is only one way.
Tomorrow is the full moon night,
we have to do an exorcism on Hang.
Exorcism?
I thought you were tired.
Why don't you rest some more?
I'm good.
Hang, I think there is something
strange going on at this place.
We need to leave.
You should go,
before it's too late.
How can I leave you here all alone?
Linh! There is something inside me.
It's eating me alive.
Help me!
Hang!
When they found him,
his body was so bloated,
his face was already deformed.
I have already packed everything.
Listen to me,
come back to the city with me, okay?
Come home to me and Mama Trinh, please!
Why should I?
Do you have anything to say?
Can we talk about it later?
Now,
we need to leave this place
as soon as possible.
I'm not going anywhere.
Is it about you and Kiet?
Go ahead, I'm all ears.
I should have
told you a long time ago.
Or at least from the moment
we first met again.
You're right.
It's about me and Kiet.
Was it before or after you knew
Kiet was my boyfriend?
His name is Kiet.
We've just start dating a few weeks ago.
I could never imagine that
he would like me.
He's not just handsome but also kind,
very artistic and also does very well
in sports.
I'll introduce him to you soon, okay?
I don't think,
we should do this anymore.
Don't worry,
I'll find a way to clear things up
with Hang.
Why are you back so late today?
I worked on my assignments at school.
What's wrong?
Maybe a little cold, I guess.
It's nothing.
This must be the season to get sick.
You shouldn't go swimming too much.
Kiet also has a cold.
Earlier,
did you see him over there?
No.
I didn't notice him.
I need to take this call.
So what?
Answer me!
Has the cat got your tongue?
Kiet never loved me.
He only loved you.
It's not right.
Kiet didn't love any of us.
Why do you never listen to what I say?
It's just you and me now.
Stop that fake crying!
It's disgusting!
You felt sorry for me
and pretended to be my friend
so that everyone thinks
you are kind and nice. Am I right?
You care for me
so much
that you take care of
my boyfriend for me too?
Hang!
Are you crazy?
Since then,
you and I are no longer friends.
Get out of here!
Hang!
You can take it all out on me.
But I'm begging you,
please leave this place!
Linh!
Don't leave me alone.
I'm scared.
Go away!
I don't want to see
your f*cking face anymore.
Get the f*ck out!
Get out!
Out!
You know better than anyone
that she knew everything a long time ago.
But you chose to keep the secret
and just let it slide, didn't you?
And now you are going to run away again?
You think that leaving means
you get to live a happy life
and to not worry about it anymore?
Great!
You should just go.
Go right now.
The moment you said
you were staying at that house,
I knew something bad
would definitely happen.
And the curse of Muoi
it's real.
When you are marked,
the spirit shall let you see
what it wants you to see.
March 28th, 1946
I have an old friend named Nguyen.
During these turbulent times,
he and his wife have
moved away from their hometown.
Hong, his wife,
her family has
a rubber plantation business here,
so they built a nice house
nearby and called it home.
Every time we met up,
he always told me
about his secret love for Muoi,
and asked me not to mention
any of it to Hong.
More than anyone else, I understand
the feeling of losing someone you love.
I gave my friend the use of my art room
so that he can paint out his love for Muoi
as a way to cope with his grief.
Today, Nguyen seemed to feel much better.
He disclosed that Muoi
came back to visit him.
I began to worry about
my friend's mental state.
I caught him staring at the ring
in his possession,
lost in his own blissful memories
of the past.
Hong and I have never been soulmates,
but she is extremely fond of
my two daughters,
who in turn like her too
as they lost their mother at birth.
Maybe it's because Hong
herself is longing for motherhood,
but has never been satisfied.
Listen. Whenever Uncle Nguyen
has tea with your father,
do they talk about me?
Not really. I often see him paint
the white dress lady in the painting room.
Dad said not to tell anyone, remember!
I was there,
on the day of the tragedy,
in my master's house.
It's Muoi! She's back!
Ma'am.
- Stay away!
- Ma'am.
Let me see my husband!
- Go get the car now!
- Yes, sir!
I had a very bad feeling
July 19th, 1946
about the portrait of Muoi.
Yet I cannot bear to destroy
this final memory of my friend.
The cursed portrait has caused too
many tragedies.
Run!
Go away!
Get out!
I don't get it.
So, why
did Muoi want me to leave that house?
I have to go back to save my friend.
It's too late to save her.
Go and save yourself!
You don't get it.
I'm all that she has in this world.
So you must find a way
to destroy that demonic portrait!
Let me go!
Let me go!
Let me go!
Look who it is.
My best friend.
The spoilt lying bitch.
You
you betrayed me.
You stole my boyfriend.
- Hang.
- Shut the f*ck up!
Thanks to you,
I was left in this hellhole
in the middle of nowhere.
Those two f*ckers followed me
from the bus.
I was so scared back then.
I begged them to stop.
How about you?
Where the f*ck were you?
You were with him,
my boyfriend.
It was you.
You pushed me into my worst nightmare.
I knew you'd come back.
You see,
if we keep hesitating
we won't be able to save Hang.
It's on you now,
only you can release her soul!
Please release me from this pain, Linh.
Blood from the dearest person.
The doll figure represents
the body of the possessed.
It's time.
Free her soul!
What do you mean by that?
s*ab this awl into her heart,
the curse of Muoi will be lifted.
And the spirit of Hang shall be released.
It means Hang will die?
If you don't do this
you will be Muoi's next victim,
don't you understand?
I can't do it.
You must make a decision now.
The full moon has risen.
Linh!
Did I raise you
to become such a disgusting whore
and betray your friends like that?
I only love you
because you're such a disgusting slut.
k*ll me, Linh!
k*ll me, Linh!
Hurry, we are running out of time.
Linh!
Please release me!
Linh!
I won't let anything happen to you.
Why are you possessing Hang?
What do you want?
Please let my friend go!
After everything I have done for you
throughout the years,
you still think of her.
That whore!
You married me
just to follow your parents' will,
I didn't even say a word about it.
You used my money
to satisfy your artistic passion,
I was also pleased to support you.
But why?
What did I do wrong?
She is such a lowly villager.
The dirty kind that's only good
at stealing other people's husbands.
What does she have that I don't?
What can she give you that I can't?
Tell me!
What should I do for you to see I exist?
And to love me?
Then I won't have to share my husband
with a rotten corpse from the grave.
That's enough!
Muoi k*lled herself because of you.
Even though she is no longer alive
in this world,
Muoi still
Will forever live in my heart.
Because
I never loved you.
I only ever loved
one person, Muoi.
Hatred and blind love
created this horrible curse.
But it's never been Muoi.
It was you who created this curse
Ms. Hong!
Ms. Dieu!
Aunt Hong will k*ll all the bad girls
like you.
There are so many men out there.
Why don't you want them,
but instead steal those who are not yours?
That cheating bastard deserved to die.
And now it is your turn! Don't you get it?
Look!
You and your friend
are just like those sluts in the woods.
You are all going to die here.
There is no way out.
Behave and obey Aunt Hong.
Just s*ab the awl into her heart.
It will all be over.
Your body will belong to Aunt Hong.
What yours is also mine!
You're right.
I'm such a terrible friend.
I gave myself many reasons
to justify my selfish actions.
But it was me who was the traitor.
I betrayed you in the worst way possible.
Because I think everything that you have,
I deserve it more.
I couldn't believe
I would get to see you again,
to confess the truth,
to beg for your forgiveness.
But also, please
don't hurt yourself anymore.
Come!
Please come with me!
Can you do this for me, Linh?
If you want my body
you need to let Hang go.
Otherwise, we are all going to die.
You want to sacrifice your life for her?
But I want you to live
and live a life that is worse than death.
It was all my fault.
But I beg you, please stop doing this!
Shut your mouth!
How dare you?
You don't deserve to say sorry.
Have you suffered
beyond the physical pain?
The cold in his eyes,
the exhaustion of waiting for someone.
It's all your fault!
I have already paid for what I did to you.
But what you have caused
for many years must end here!
You must die.
You and others like you deserve to die!
Why?
Why did you come back, Linh?
It was me that brought you here.
It was me that wanted
to give your body to her.
It was me that wanted to k*ll you.
Linh!
What are you doing?
Don't forget what she did to you!
Even if you spend your whole life
sacrificing for and loving someone,
you will only receive betrayal
and bitterness in the end.
It's only because
you chose the wrong person
to sacrifice for!
Hang!
Hang!
If we are apart someday
Please don't have sorrow for too long
If we are apart someday
It will only be distance
It will just be times
When we feel a little lonely
So long as we remember each other
The Earth grows big
But people like us don't
We are still like kids
Longing for a warm embrace
Only when we are apart do we realize
How much we miss each other
And how uncertain our dream-like life is
For sure we'll meet again
When the laughter washes our tears away
For sure we'll meet again
When the sun shines bright after the rain
For sure we'll meet again
Because life is not that long
While love is always here blooming
For sure we'll meet again
When the light shines out of darkness
For sure we'll meet again
When we relive memories covered by
The white flowers on our heads
For sure we'll meet again
Because life is not that long
Seeing you living in peace
Is all I truly want
For sure we'll meet again
Muoi: The Curse Returns (2022)
Moderator: Maskath3