SONG LANG + XANG XỪ LÍU

Set in a richly imagined 1980s Saigon, SONG LANG is a gritty underworld noir hiding a tender, romantic heart. At the film’s core is the unlikely bond that develops between hunky, brooding Dũng (V-pop star Isaac), a tough debt collector for a ruthless loan shark, and Linh Phụng (Liên Bỉnh Phát), a charismatic young opera singer for a struggling company that performs cải lương, a modern form of traditional Vietnamese folk opera.

The two meet when Dũng comes to forcefully collect a debt from the opera troupe, but when their paths cross again, a friendship—and then more—develops, awakening surprising, tender feelings in both men. Their story, too, soon scales operatic heights. With his first feature film, director Leon Le has delivered a rich drama: a smoldering relationship between two apparent opposites—equally uncompromising—set against the backdrop of a gorgeous, fading art form.

Immediately following Song Lang is a special performance by

XANG XỪ LÍU
20 MINS

Named after one of the hundreds of melodic musical styles found in Vietnamese folk opera, or “cai luong,” Xang Xừ Líu was established in 2022, and has been performing for festivals and community events throughout the Sacramento region, since then. While originating in southern Vietnam, the art form has since expanded throughout the world–wherever Vietnamese communities can be found.