Lê Bảo’s ‘Hearing’ Delivers a Sensory Study of Family Silence at Locarno

Vietnamese filmmaker Lê Bảo premieres his second feature, “Hearing,” a mood-driven portrait of an estranged family’s struggle to break silence, in the main competition at the Locarno Film Festival.

Lê Bảo’s latest film, “Hearing,” unfolds in a modest Vietnamese town where mechanic Ninh, his estranged spouse, their two children and elderly parents confront a legacy of domestic violence and muted relationships. The story is punctuated by moments of overwhelming noise—a bustling restaurant, a forest-edge nightclub—and stark silences that reveal the characters’ inner turmoil. Vincent Villa’s intricate sound design and Nguyễn Vinh Phúc’s precise cinematography create a textured sound-and-image landscape that emphasizes everyday labor, from basket-weaving to mushroom farming.

The piece has been likened to the experimental work of Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Pedro Costa while retaining a distinct, sense-driven voice. After winning a jury prize at Berlin’s former Encounters competition with “Taste,” Lê returns to the festival circuit, premiering in the main competition at Locarno, with prospects for specialist streaming but a stronger case for theatrical exhibition. Produced by Singapore-based E&W Films, the film continues the director’s exploration of sensory perception through narrative restraint.