Children of the Mist

Hà Lệ Diễm's 2022 Vietnamese documentary follows Di, twelve years old, in the mountains of the north. Di belongs to the Hmong; girls in the region marry very young, and this usually begins with an abduction rite at the new year. The director stayed with the family for three years. As Di grows she is caught between staying in school and following the custom; the documentary does not narrate this from outside but records the girl's own reactions. The most discussed moment is the passage where the camera intervenes. When the abduction begins the director stops filming and steps in; the documentary does not cut this and shows the limit of the observer plainly. Who it's for: those who follow long-term observational documentary and films about minority communities. Who it's not for: viewers for whom child marriage and forced abduction would sit heavily.