Three Seasons (1999), directed by Tony Bui, is a landmark in Vietnamese diasporic cinema—and a quietly radical reimagining of how we remember the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Selected by Vietnam as its official submission to the Academy Awards and honored at Sundance with the Grand Jury Prize, Best Cinematography, and Audience Award, the film’s impact continues to resonate 25 years later. In this video, presented during the “Vietnam at 50” conference at Columbia University, filmmaker Tony Bui and historian Professor Nguyen Thi Lien-Hang discuss the enduring legacy of Three Seasons—a cinematic time capsule that captures the sounds, poetry, and emotional undercurrents of Vietnam in the late 1990s.

Rejecting the dominant war narrative often seen in Hollywood productions, Three Seasons instead centers on the quiet resilience of ordinary people navigating a transforming postwar Vietnam. Told through three interwoven vignettes, the film meditates on memory, dignity, and the small but powerful choices individuals make in the shadows of historical trauma.

This conversation offers rare insight into Bui’s personal journey as a Vietnamese American artist—his emotional return to Vietnam at age 19, the influence of his mother’s poetry, and the challenges of making an independent Vietnamese-language film at a time when Vietnamese voices were largely absent from American screens. From working with Harvey Keitel to resisting stereotypical war tropes, Bui’s creative choices illuminate a deeper vision of reconciliation—one grounded in human connection, not battlefield spectacle.

Now digitally restored and newly celebrated by the Criterion Collection, Three Seasons stands as both a cinematic milestone and a cultural bridge—one that continues to speak to Vietnamese and international audiences alike. We invite you to watch this intimate and inspiring reflection on the film’s journey, meaning, and renewed relevance today.