Locarno-Bound ‘Hair, Paper, Water’ Boarded by Lights On for International Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Lights On has boarded international sales for “Hair, Paper, Water…,” the latest collaboration between Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Graux and Vietnamese director Truong Minh Quy, which will world premiere in competition at the Locarno Film Festival‘s Filmmakers of the Present section.

The film follows an elderly Rục woman who was born in a cave more than 60 years ago and now lives in a village caring for her children and grandchildren. The intimate portrait captures her daily life and the transmission of the fragile Rục language to younger generations, as she dreams of her deceased mother calling her home to the cave.

Lights On is also representing “Don’t Let Me Die” by Andrei Epure, which is in the Locarno Filmmakers of the Present section.

“We’re thrilled to be part of Locarno’s Festival Filmmakers of the Present competition for the fourth consecutive year,” said Flavio Armone, co-founder and managing director of Lights On. “We will present two feature films at the upcoming edition, including ‘Hair, Paper, Water…’ by Nicolas Graux and Trương Minh Quý — an exceptionally bold piece that we’re sure will captivate audiences worldwide.”

The film marks the second collaboration between Graux and Truong, who previously co-directed the short “Porcupine” (2023), which premiered at Rotterdam and won the jury prize for best artistic contribution at Pink Screens Film Festival.

Truong, born in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, has been gaining international recognition with his documentary-fiction hybrid approach. His most recent solo feature “Viet and Nam” (2024) was selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes and went on to screen at major festivals including Toronto, New York Film Festival, and BFI London. The film collected multiple awards including the CineRebels Award at Filmfest München.

Graux, from Belgium’s former coal-mining region, made his feature debut with “Century of Smoke” (2019), which premiered at Visions du Réel and earned several international awards. His work blends documentary and fiction to explore sociopolitical realities through what he describes as “immersive research and a poetic, sensitive gaze.”

“Hair, Paper, Water…” is produced by Julie Freres at Dérives (Belgium) and Petit Chaos (France), with co-production from WIP (Belgium) and Lagi films (Vietnam). The film received support from Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Ciclic Région Centre-Val de Loire, Image/mouvement du Centre national des arts plastiques, Procirep, Angoa, Media, Wallonie, Pictanovo, and Brouillon d’un rêve de la Scam.

The technical team includes Graux as cinematographer, with sound design by Ernst Karel and Truong. Color grading is handled by Lionel Kopp.

Locarno runs Aug. 6-16.