Lost in Paradise (film)

Lost in Paradise is a 2011 Vietnamese drama film directed by V Ngc ng. Its original title is Rebellious Hot Boy and the Story of Ci, the Prostitute and the Duck Hot boy ni lon v cu chuyn v thng Ci, c gi im v con vt, shortened to Rebellious Hot Boy Hot boy ni lon or simply Hot Boy. The film is set in Ho Chi Minh City and has two separate story lines. The first depicts a love triangle between three men, Khi, Lam, and ng, amidst a backdrop of male prostitution. The second concerns a mentallyhandicapped man, Ci, his friendship with Hnh, a female prostitute, and his attempts to raise a duckling. The film was a strong critical and commercial success in Vietnam. It has been shown at several international festivals, from which it garnered more mixed reviews. In particular its portrayal of homosexuality has been noted as ground breaking within the context of Vietnamese cinema.

The film is set in Saigon, where Khi arrives from Nha Trang after being disowned by his family on account of his homosexuality. ng befriends him and invites him to share an apartment along with Lam, who isunbeknownst to Khiactually ngs lover. At the apartment, ng and Lam rob him of his money and belongings ng in turn abandons Lam and flees with the cash. Lam later happens upon an injured Khi sleeping rough. In pity he returns the latters clothes and identity papers and after a tentative reconciliation the two become friends and ultimately lovers. Lam returns to his life as a prostitute while Khi attempts to work as a bookseller. A returning, manipulative ng dogs the couple which culminates in Lam wounding his antagonist with a stab to the foot. Khi eventually leaves Lam because of the latters work as a prostitute. An increasingly desperate Lam takes to robbing his clients at knifepoint a gang of men in the employ of one such victim kills Lam at the films climax.The films second plot concerns a mentallyhandicapped man named Ci and his endeavors to raise a duckling, while intermittently attempting to befriend a prostitute, Hnh. This enrages her pimp who takes to beating both as a deterrent. The initially hostile Hnh warms to Ci as his duckling grows. At the films close, the pimps threat to eat Cis duck prompts Hnh to club her and an enforcer to death. ........

Source: Wikipedia