PICKPOCKET (EUFF VIET NAM 2026)
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PICKPOCKET <CURATED BY TRAN ANH HUNG>
France — 76’ — 1959
Director & Writer: Robert Bresson
Cast: Martin LaSalle, Marika Green, Pierre Leymarie
Cinematography: Léonce Henri-Burel
Music: Jean-Baptiste Lully, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
Keywords: Psychological, Existentialist
Age rating: T16
19:30 — 24.11.2026 — National Cinema Centre, 87 Lang Ha, Hanoi <post-screening Q&A with Tran Anh Hung>
19:30 — 04.12.2026 — Galaxy Cinema, 116 Nguyen Du, HCMC
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A loose adaptation of ‘Crime and Punishment’, PICKPOCKET chronicles the journey of Michel - with a mind deluding himself into believing he is extraordinary and above the law, only to be brought down by the crushing weight of his own conscience. The film can be likened to a glass of crystal-clear water, its language restrained, yet that stifling sense of containment transforms into an atmosphere of violence within an ascetic spirit. Only upon touching the transcendence of grace and love is the individual finally liberated from the burden of the self.
‘The extremely rigorous mise-en-scène, the refusal to employ professional actors, and a stark, austere tone - focusing entirely on the spiritual dimension - established this film as an absolute benchmark, one that remains relevant today for many directors seeking transcendence in cinema.’ (Tran Anh Hung)
Still images © MK2
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