Last Rites for a Doll

Chinh Tran received a grant for writing the scenario of a new film. Last Rites for a Doll is a story about second-generation Chinese immigrant David, a professional cleaner who cleans up after seniors who died alone in their home. He likes to photograph these houses and record their states, frozen in time, as the inhabitants have suddenly vanished. As a way to pay his respect, he tries to complete their last tasks. One day, he discovers that his aging mother is dying. He becomes obsessed with guessing what her last task will be to construct a perfect last moment for her. The film is a contemplation on the nature of our remains after death and on the journey of coming to terms with the passing of loved ones.

Chinh is a Vietnamese scriptwriter and copywriter based in the Netherlands. She's written the scenarios for several short films that were screened at international film festivals, including PÖFF Shorts, In The Palace ISFF, and Tampere Film Festival. She's an alumnus of MIDPOINT Writers’ Room and Torino FilmLab Next, among other writer’s development labs. In 2023, she received a grant from the Saari Artist Residence to work on her first novella. In 2024, she made her directorial debut developed within the scope of CinemAsia FilmLab.