By Diana Cheng
AAP Film & Arts Writer
Inspired by true events in 19th century Vietnam, 14-year-old May is married into a rich landowner’s family. She is the third wife of the patriarch’s son. Her sole purpose is to produce a male descendent for him, as the first two wives have only daughters. A film with minimal dialogues, “The Third Wife” is a visual story. Its sensual aesthetics and dream-like sequences wrap a harsh reality: the plight of women in a patriarchal society.
Director Ash Mayfair was born and raised in Vietnam. She’s an Oxford and NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate. Despite its historic setting in a land far away, this debut feature by Mayfair is timely, adding a quiet and potent voice to the #MeToo awakening.
“The Third Wife” will be opening at Edina Cinema in the Twin Cities on Friday, June 28.
