Ru (2023)

November 24, 2023 (CA) • Drama • 117m

Overview

After a dangerous sea crossing and a stay in a camp in Malaysia, the young Vietnamese Tinh and her family are accepted as refugees in Canada and arrive in Montreal where they begin their new life. But for Tinh, adapting has its share of difficulties.

Director

Charles-Olivier Michaud

Writers

Jacques Davidts, Kim Thúy

Top Billed

Chloé Djandji

Keywords

based on novel or book refugee vietnamese refugees

Where to watch

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Chloé Djandji

Tinh

Chantal Thuy

Nguyen

Jean Bui

Minh

Olivier Dinh

Quôc

Xavier Nguyen

Duc

Patrice Robitaille

Normand Girard

Karine Vanasse

Lisette Girard

Mali Corbeil-Gauvreau

Johanne Girard

Benoît Mauffette

Jean Girard

Eugénie Beaudry

Louise Girard

Jean-Marc Dalphond

Robert Girard

Richard Fréchette

Paul Girard

Marie-Thérèse Fortin

Jeannine

Julie De Lafrenière

Marie-France

Long Pham

Monsieur An

Benoît Drouin-Germain

Vendeur magasin

Ralph Prosper

Propriétaire restaurant

Stéphanie Germain

Serveuse restaurant

Xiaodan He

Serveuse restaurant

Brigitte Hébert

Cliente restaurant

Sean Lu

Monsieur Vinh

Marie-Josée Forget

Jacqueline

Viet-Due Duong

Grand-mère

Ngoc-X-N Phan

Père vietnamien

David Leblanc

Accompagnateur

Jean-Philippe Lehoux

Claude

Stéphanie Perreault

Voix féminine à l'extérieur du magasin (voice)

Maude Bouchard

Voisine

Elliot Parent

Jutras

Joseph Bellerose

Libraire

Annie Pham

Vendeuse itinérante vietnamienne

Nina Pham

Bébé de la vendeuse itinérante et de Kiet

Emma Bao Linh Tourné

Sao-Mai

Jérémie Corriveau

Voisin guitariste

Duy Pham

Luan

Stephanie White

Agente de bord

Laurent Pham

Réfugié vietnamien dans l'avion

Chantal Chartrand

Femme à l'accueil du centre communautaire

Jean-Léon Rondeau

Laitier

Charlotte Sales

Jeune voisine

Cam Poirier

Ouvrière

Anne-Lise Nadeau

Ouvrière

Louise Laurin

Guichetière cinéma

André Robillard

Spectateur cinéma

Antonin Bouffard

Binette

Crew

Jacques Davidts

Writer

Charles-Olivier Michaud

Director

Kim Thúy

Associate Producer

Jeffrey Roy

ADR Mixer

Rosalie Clermont-Bilodeau

Costume Design

Claude Palardy

Editor

Frédérique Descarries-Fontan

Second Assistant Director

Delphine Le Courtois

Additional Third Assistant Director

Natalia Ortelli

Additional Third Assistant Director

Vickie-Lynn Roy

Colorist

Erik Daniel

Post Production Supervisor

Pierre-Jules Audet

Sound Designer

Marie-Alexandra Forget

Producer

Catherine Kirouac

First Assistant Director

Thierry Collins

Boom Operator

Nakkita Toumi

Third Assistant Director

André Dupuy

Producer

Guillaume Daoust

Sound

Marco Légaré

Unit Manager

Fredericke Hamelin Laventure

Assistant Unit Manager

Nathalie Tremblay

Delegated Producer

Jean-François Lord

Director of Photography

Tristan Stevens

Assistant Set Decoration

Valérie Milot

Additional Third Assistant Director

Maxime Vermette

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Nathalie Boutrie

Casting

Sam Proulx

Production Assistant

Marie-Hélène Lavoie

Art Direction

Philipe Gilbert

Boom Operator

Geneviève Hébert

Casting

Hans Laitres

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Justin Vanier

Sound Re-Recording Assistant

Mo Matton

Assistant Director Trainee

Kim Thúy

Novel

Daniel Bisson

Sound

Marie-Miel Lacasse Hévey

Dialogue Editor

Mathieu Maillé

ADR Mixer

Michel Corriveau

Original Music Composer

Dominique T. Hasbani

Makeup Department Head

Maxime Taimiot

Online Editor

Reviews

IzzyIzzie

⭐ 9/10

November 28, 2023

8.5/10 —> 4.25/5

This was a great film. Very solid filmmaking and acting all around the board, but especially from the lead, Chloé Djandji, an incredible child actor, her first gig as well.

Chloé was stellar at portraying the reserved, shy and traumatized Tinh, showing clear acting abilities in the way she keeps the reserved demeanour, yet shows so much feeling and thought at the same time. We are also seeing things in her perspective and memories, leading to the interesting structure of the film, as well as how we see them. Particularly on their journey away from their home country

I really liked a lot of the camerawork used in this film as well. Lots of broad views and long shots, which is interestingly something I’ve noticed is very common not just in indie cinema, but in Quebec films as well, such as Les Chambres Rouges and Vampire Humaniste; its an interesting stylistic choice that’s more common here than elsewhere, from what I’ve seen. Its very well conceived cinematography as well. One moment I really appreciated was when they are getting onto the boat, and as Tinh struggles to stay afloat, so does the camera, since the film’s in her perspective. That was a great moment of camerawork. I also love all the shots where Tinh is standing and staring, as those are perhaps the most emotionally charged scenes for her, and where Djandji truly shines the brightest.

Tinh and Johanne have the cutest friendship, as well. Even with her still being shy, you can tell how close Tinh feels to Johanne, particularly when they cry together alone towards the ending minutes. Speaking of Johanne, Mali Corbeil-Gauvreau is also great, and has superb acting chemistry with Chloé Djandji.

The whole film is very grounded and raw in its storytelling and dialogue. It takes on a very shy slice of life approach while in Quebec, whereas in Viet Nam and on the way out, it is much more hectic and heavy, again influenced by the perspective of Tinh. Its thanks to this perspective that it all feels so much more visceral and scary. She and her family, as well as many, many others, went through much hardship to emigrate as refugees, and I do also want to note that, though it isn’t an experience I’ve had - it portrays the immigration very well from my life outside knowledge. Others may be able to correct me, but it feels very realistic to me. Particularly for Chloé, it is an immense adjustment - particularly due to language. One moment that hurt my heart was when she asked her mother to speak in their native tongue, but she refused rather coldly, and though we didn’t see Tinh’s face for most of that shot, the hurt was tangible.

I am definitely glad that I saw this one - it was well worth the viewing.

8.5/10

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Ru (2023)

Jacques Davidts, Kim Thúy

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

IzzyIzzie

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