People who love Contemporary Art believe, in theory, in its ability to impact the world. Call it the relevance factor. 

Something extraordinary is happening right now in Vietnam that is a testament to this social premise of art’s power to change society. LDS filmmakers Aaron Toronto and Nha Uyen Ly Nguyen released their film, Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ! (The Brilliant Darkness!) in 2022, and it went on to win the highest awards, The Golden Kite, which are Vietnamese equivalent of an Oscar, in September. Toronto and Nha co-wrote the screenplay; Toronto directed (his first feature film), and Nha starred (her first film role). 

The dramatic film is about a family imploding, precipitated by the death of a wealthy grandfather and his son's gambling debts that imperil his life and his family's future. The main themes of the film are the abusive relationships of families over multiple generations that are tacitly condoned in Vietnamese culture and their toll on its populations' physical and mental health, something that is autobiographical for Nha Uyen. Recent studies show that 2/3 of Vietnamese children suffer physical abuse at the hands of family members. The rapturous reception of the film--its appearance tragically coincided with the deaths of three different family's young children as victims of abuse at the hands of their parents--has started an important, national conversation and prompted the enactment of new protective laws, as well as a more open discussion on mental health. 

During a recent interview on The Center’s Studio Podcast, Aaron noted that it is the goal of LDS artists to improve the world, and he said that he and Uyen felt guided by their Heavenly Father to make the movie, which, given the political complexities of filmmaking in Vietnam and the potential firestorm of controversy that could have resulted in this theme, which is a broad indictment of the society, its appearance and tremendous success is a miracle. – Glen Nelson (The Brilliant Darkness! Is newly available for at-home rental in the United States on Amazon Prime Video.)