Buffalo Boy (2004) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

2004 · 102 mins · Vietnamese

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Directed by

Minh Nguyen-Vo

Starring

Thi Kieu Trinh Nguyen, Thạch Kim Long, Zan Sram Kra, Huu Thanh Nguyen, The Lu Le, Van Be Truong

Set on Vietnam’s southern coast during the 1940s French occupation, water sustains life and decay. Fifteen‑year‑old Kim lives with his father and step‑mother, who depend on two buffalo for their rice farm. When the rainy season leaves fields barren and the animals starving, Kim leads the beasts inland to find pasture. On this rite‑of‑passage he sees women mistreated, men fighting, French taxes, works for Lap—a buffalo herder linked to his parents—and gains friends who guide him to his place.