The first Vietnamese film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It lost to Belle Epoque (1992) from Spain. It was also the first film to be submitted by Vietnam for the award and, as of 2024, it is still the only Vietnamese movie ever to be nominated.
Although the cast and crew of the film are mostly Vietnamese and the film takes place in Vietnam, it was actually filmed completely on a sound stage in Boulogne, France.
Won the Caméra d'Or prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.