Dust of Life

1995 1h 27m FR

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 8

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Based on a true story, after the US withdrawal and the fall of South Vietnam to the communist forces in 1975, many people are sent to reeducation camps. Several desperate boys in one of the camps begin planing their escape.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Daniel Guyant
Son
Eric Nguyen
Un-Deux
Gilles Chitlaphone
Bob
Jehan Pagès
Petit Haï
Leon Outtrabady
Shrimp
Siu Lin Lam
Le noiraud
Yann Roussel
Muscles d'acier
Loke Mok Yeong
Petite pelle

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rachid Bouchareb
Writers: Bernard Gesbert, Rachid Bouchareb
Languages: French, Vietnamese
Countries: Algeria, France, Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Vietnamese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Algeria, France, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rachid Bouchareb, shot by Youcef Sahraoui. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Safy Boutella. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hélène Ducret shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Daniel Guyant and Eric Nguyen and Gilles Chitlaphone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rachid Bouchareb directs. Youcef Sahraoui behind the camera. Safy Boutella scores. Hélène Ducret cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Algeria, France, Germany. Dialogue in French, Vietnamese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
231 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Vietnamese.
4International production across 3 countries: Algeria, France, Germany.
5Directed by Rachid Bouchareb, shot by Youcef Sahraoui. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Safy Boutella. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Hélène Ducret shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Daniel Guyant and Eric Nguyen and Gilles Chitlaphone carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0110880 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 8 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.