Golden Pin (2009), The
Release date: 2009
Director: Cuong Ngo
Screenplay by: Cuong Ngo, Matt Guerin
Cast: Ben Bela Böhm, Kris Duangphung, Minh Ngoc Nguyen
Guh, I have the best timing in the world!
I’m one of the lucky South Americans not in Vietnam that has gotten the chance to watch Cuong Ngo’s gorgeously shot film, Pearls of the Far East. What were the chances that Ngo’s 2009 Canadian short film The Golden Pin happened to be THE perfect theme for this week’s LGBT Blogathon!
The Golden Pin is a student short film focusing on the life of Long (Duangphung), a Vietnamese-Canadian young man who finds himself on the crossroads of following his heart or fulfilling his family’s expectations. Let me tell you, there’s no greater burden for traditional families (disregarding any ethnicity) than to have offspring follow in the “correct” footsteps, so when we hear Long’s father say that he wanted Long to continue the family line because there was no other family member to do so… it feels like a bucket of cold water.
What would you really do being the last one to carry the family name? Sure, there are other options for Long and Ryan (Böhm) to have children of their own and carry their respective family’s name, but to make such decision at that point in their relationship would have seemed rushed. Instead, Long’s mother (Nguyen) decides to tell her son about her own story… though, I feel she was giving me a bit of a mixed signal there.
In the end, The Golden Pin doesn’t really give you the answer Long or us are looking for, instead just poses the question.
Which one would you choose?
Rating: 
New York, you’re in luck!
Cuong Ngo’s short film collection feature, Pearls of the Far East [Trailer], which opened in Vietnam in early March this year, will hold a free screening! Here are the details~
Time: June 18th, 2012 at 6.30pm
Place: Pratt Manhattan
144 West 14th Street, Second Floor, Room 213
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This post is part of the 2012 LGBT Blogathon.
Great review, Amy.
Fans of ‘Pearls of the Far East’ can also catch it in the upcoming Asian American International Film Festival in New York City, which runs from July 25 to August 5. The date of our screening isn’t confirmed yet, but we are looking forward to it!
http://www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff/
Cheers,
Matt Guerin
Associate Producer/Writer
Pearls of the Far East & The Golden Pin
@Matt Guerin, thanks for the info! :)
Lovely film, and a lyrical background…I saw some commentary about the composer and the music, but no mention of the vocalist and words at the end. Hard to fathom this was overlooked, or not articulated more clearly. i.e. did the composer also write the words? and where is the text of the song, itself… thanks Blessings, all.
i SEE NOW that the music AND THE WORDS FOR I DREAM OF YOU are likely both composed by Mr. Freedman, albeit I have not seen it cited specifically. So beautifl