AllMovie

A Vietnamese family tries to deal with a variety of anxieties and frustrations in this drama. Bi (Phan Tranh Minh) is a six-year-old boy who likes to play at the ice making plant in the neighborhood when he isn't cooped up at home. Life at home isn't always comfortable -- his father (Nguyen Ha Phong) drinks too much, his mother (Nguyen Thi Kieu Trinh) is unhappy but can't stand up to her husband, and his aunt (Hoa Thuy) is a schoolteacher unhappy with her lot in life. Bi's ailing grandfather (Tran Tien) moves into the family home just as things are becoming even more tense -- his mother has become aware that father is spending an increasing amount of his time and money with a prostitute, and his aunt has become infatuated with one of her students (Le Huynh Anh) and can barely deal with her longing. Bi, Dung So (aka Bi, Don't Be Afraid) was the first feature film from writer and director Phan Dang Di.