The White Silk Dress

In 1954, Ha Dong is under crumbling French rule, and two servants, Dan and Gu, suffer at the hands of their masters. They grow closer as companions and lovers amid daily hardship. After Gu's master is assassinated, they flee south to seek safety and a chance at a better life.

Dan and Gu travel south and eventually settle in the central seaside town of Hoi An, where life is hard but they cling to each other. They begin to build a family from the meager fortune they can muster, aided by the small boat they own for work. The move marks the start of a long struggle against poverty and the looming shadow of war.

Dan gives birth to their first daughter, Hoi An, bringing hope and a sense of future to the couple. Gu remains protective and works to keep the family afloat. The family endures poverty but finds joy in small moments.

The rainy season arrives and floods their house, testing their resilience. Gu searches for their precious white silk áo dài, only to discover it wrapped around a sprouted areca nut — a symbol of marriage from their hometown. When the rain stops, Dan plants the nut in front of their house as a future pledge.

The sprouting areca nut becomes a living sign of their vow, and Dan waits for the day when it will bind her more formally to Gu. The couple's hope for a proper wedding hinges on the nut's growth, reinforcing their resolve to endure.

The rainy season returns and three more daughters are born, while their house remains flooded. They survive by using a small boat for work and gathering shellfish, which Dan then sells at the market. Despite the encroaching war and poverty, the family stays close and supportive.

To keep her children fed and educated, Dan takes work as a wet nurse for an older Chinese man who requires her to nurse his infant every morning. She endures humiliation and discomfort, but she persists for the sake of her family. Gu discovers the arrangement and reprimands her, yet the family remains committed to this sacrifice.

Feeling constrained by poverty and schooling pressures, Dan modifies her own precious áo dài so that her daughters can share a version and attend school. Gu supports the gesture, recognizing its importance for their children's future. This act helps keep their cultural identity alive while giving the girls a chance at education.

Hoi An, the daughter, asks her father, "Is peace beautiful, daddy?", signaling a longing for a future without fear. Tragedy strikes when a bomb hits the school as Hoi An and her classmates read an essay about the áo dài. Dan rushes to the school, horrified by the loss of her child and friends.

Dan dies while collecting wood to earn money for her daughters' education, swept away by heavy rain. Her death deprives the family of a unifying matriarch who kept them together. The tragedy compounds the violence that has already shattered their lives.

Gu dies soon after, attempting to rescue Dan's áo dài after their home is bombed. His death marks the collapse of the couple's last protective layer and deepens the family's grief. The áo dài remains a haunting symbol of their shared memory and resilience.

The film ends with a scene from Vietnam's Reunification in 1975, a quiet reminder of endurance beyond loss. The áo dài is celebrated as a symbol of strength for Vietnamese women and for the family left behind.