Goodbye Mother

A clandestine meeting in an outdoor shower stall on a rainy day. Dancing to a slow folk ballad at a local carnival while unable to touch, instead engrossed by the other’s longing gaze. This is the mode of desire under which Goodbye Mother operates, and queer repression has never felt so perfect. Part coming-out story and part family dramedy, the film follows a young man named Nâu Vân (Lãnh Thanh), who has invited his boyfriend Ian (Võ Điền Gia Huy) from the United States back to his hometown in the Vietnamese countryside when the anniversary of his father’s death poses a fruitful chance to introduce his lover and come out to his family. (San Diego Asian Film Festival)