Vietnamese Director Duong Dieu Linh’s horror-comedy “Don’t Cry, Butterfly” is the big winner of the Venice Critics’ Week where it scooped the grand prize and the award for most innovative feature.

Written and directed by Duong Dieu Linh, the Hanoi-set film follows a housewife who uses voodoo to try and get her cheating husband to fall back into love with her. Instead, she invites a mysterious presence into the house.

“Don’t Cry, Butterfly,” which is being sold by Barunson E&a, marks the directorial debut of Duong Dieu Linh. It’s also a companion piece to her award-winning short film series about middle-aged women that includes “A Trip to Heaven,” “Sweet, Salty” and “Mother, Daughter, Dreams.” Just like the shorts, “Butterfly” explores recurring themes of womanhood, family relations and cultural traditions, and is told through a quirky sense of humor and use of magical realism.

The main jury – comprising producer Kerem Ayan,...