Owl and the Sparrow

OWL AND THE SPARROW is a charming film that introduces an extraordinary young Vietnamese actress, Pham Thi Han. She plays Thuy, a ten-year-old orphan who flees her uncle when he upbraids her for performing poorly as a worker at his bamboo blind factory. Thuy carefully packs her few belongings and runs away, only to end up selling roses on the streets of Saigon. It's an alienating world, crowded and neon-lit; in the city, children fend for themselves as best they can and adults don't ask questions. Thuy's path crosses those of two other lonely souls: a beautiful flight attendant with nowhere to call home, and a zookeeper who relates better to animals than to people. Aided by the engaging Thuy, the stories of these characters from very different walks of life eventually collide. When Thuy is scooped up by city police and taken to an overcrowded orphanage, her adult friends realize that it's finally time to act. (In Vietnamese with English subtitles) –BB