Locarno International CompetitionFamily/ChildPsychology/Mystery/Suspence/ThrillerArt/Artist
Ninh has separated from his wife and lives alone with his mother. He occasionally sees his wife and children, but finding a way to express his feelings and mend their relationship is not easy. Ninh installs noise meters. When the noise exceeds a certain level, a light comes on. At the edge of the village is a restaurant that serves as a gathering place and an escape for the local residents. At night, it is awash with bursts of noise and blue light. Hearing is the second feature by Lê Bảo, whose debut feature Taste won the Special Jury Award in the Encounters section at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival. Following a man whose job is to measure sound, the film gazes at the silence and distance that accumulate between those who love one another. As a film that puts ‘hearing’ front and center, its sound design is superb; equally striking is its visual experience, with precise, measured compositions and rich, vivid colors that make each frame feel like a painting.
Lê Bảo studied cinema independently in his youth and directed the short films Coal (2013), Scent (2014), and Taste (2016). His debut feature, Taste (2021), which shares its title with his earlier short film, received the Special Jury Award in the Encounters section at the Berlinale and was screened at the Busan International Film Festival afterward. Hearing is his second feature and was invited to the International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival in 2026.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
