Vietnam has selected “Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass” as its contender for the Academy Awards foreign-language race, according to Variety.

The coming of age story set in the 1980s and seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy, is an adaptation of a best-selling novel by Nguyen Nhat Anh. The film was directed by Victor Vu, a Vietnamese-American with a string of hits in Vietnam.

It enjoyed a strong commercial release in Vietnam from October last year. It grossed some $3.5 million.

Production was by Galaxy Entertainment. International sales were handled by Fortissimo Films.

The Oscars selection, made by the Ministry of Culture, is only the sixth time that Vietnam has submitted a film in the category.