The 14-year-old girl May, the film's protagonist (Photo: VNA)

The story is set in 19th century rural Vietnam. A 14-year-old girl becomes the third wife of a wealthy landowner and soon learns that she can only gain status by giving birth to a baby boy. Faced with forbidden love and its devastating consequences, she comes to understand the brutal truth: the options available to her are few and far between.

The 40th CIFF, from November 20 to 29, featured 160 movies from 59 countries and territories.