2030 (AKA NUOC)

Set in 2030, Nuoc unfolds as a dreamlike meditation on a future South Vietnam swallowed by rising seas. While a mystery surrounding the protagonist’s husband’s death provides the narrative frame, the film’s true power lies in its reimagining of the future—one that drifts far from the urban, techno-centric visions typical of Western science fiction. Instead, Nuoc offers a haunting, lyrical alternative: fluid, intimate, and profoundly rooted in place.  

Introduction: Paweł Frelik, American Studies Center, University of Warsaw