The challenge of bringing the bestselling novel to the screen Ru, by Kim Thúy, was colossal. But director Charles-Olivier Michaud succeeded in his goal by creating a touching and sensitive film that seduces with its great beauty and the humanity it radiates.
We all know the story of the novel Ru. In this autobiographical story, written about fifteen years ago, Kim Thúy recounts her childhood in Saigon, her journey as a Vietnamese refugee, and her arrival in Quebec during the boat people wave of the late 1970s.
Published by Libre Expression in 2009, the book was an enormous success: more than 540,000 copies were sold in around forty countries worldwide.
It was obvious that this novel, which won over a large audience, would one day be brought to the screen, even if it was often described as incongruous due to its form (the book consists of very short stories that do not follow). in chronological order).
A welcoming Quebec
In the film, the story is told through the eyes of Tinh (moving Chloé Djandji), a young Vietnamese woman – and the alter ego of Kim Thúy – who comes to Quebec in the 1970s after fleeing persecution in her home country.
We will accompany her and her family during their first months in Quebec, in the middle of winter, as they try to adapt to their new living environment.
Based on a screenplay by Jacques Davidts, Charles-Olivier Michaud (“Anna, Snow and Ash”) explores the challenges of integration with humanity by depicting a welcoming and caring Quebec.
This Quebec generosity is particularly embodied by the characters Lisette and Normand (Karine Vanasse and Patrice Robitaille), a couple who offer to support the newcomers’ family, and do so with a touching mix of kindness and awkwardness.
The film touches the heart but also impresses with its beautiful visual qualities (including the excellent photography direction by Jean-François Lord) and its melancholic poetry. Michel Corriveau’s great music fits perfectly into the film’s most impressive dramatic scenes.
On a technical level, Charles-Olivier Michaud achieved a masterpiece by reconstructing Kim Thúy’s childhood home in Saigon in Montreal, but also the long and difficult sea crossing of the Vietnamese family, hidden in the hold of a boat.
These scenes, told in flashback form, are particularly powerful and heartbreaking, especially when we think of the millions of people currently experiencing similar tragedies elsewhere in the world.
Recently, Kim Thúy said in an interview with the Journal that he has given himself a life’s mission: to share beauty. Charles-Olivier Michaud certainly respected the author’s wishes by signing this very successful film adaptation of his book.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Rua film by Charles-Olivier Michaud with Chloé Djandji, Jean Bui, Chantal Thuy and Karine Vanasse.