VietNam Life Style: movie

Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Culture Vulture

Director Tran Anh Hung's latest film Norwegian Wood recently premiered at Ha Noi's Megastar Cineplex, with the film to open in cinemas nationally tomorrow. Hung, an overseas Vietnamese who lives in France, spoke about the film adapted from the popular novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.

How have you tried to ensure fans of the novel are not disappointed when they watch your movie?

I don't care about it. I was just interested in making a good movie. If the movie doesn't match what audiences' imagined, that's their affair, not mine. This is the first time I've made a movie from a well-known novel. I not only tried to tell the story in images, but I wanted to express my thoughts and feelings when I read the novel. I choose a way to go straight to the heart of the matter, without beginning with a character's recollection as usual.

What's more, the novel did not address the relationship between past and present or cause and effect. If I made the movie following the novel's structure, I would have had to add more details than are present. But there's already a lot of information in the original.

I began to shoot the movie in winter and delayed it in five months waiting for summer. Japanese actors are great, and the languages barrier was not a problem. We could understand each other well because of the common language of cinema.

Director Jean-Jacques Annaud's 1991 film The Lover, based on the book by Marguerite Duras, ignited a constroversy because of the many sex scenes in the film. There are also a lot of sex scenes in Norwegian Wood. But the sexuality in the novel is handled in a very pure way. How did you convey that in making this film?

The director needs to have an exact eye. While sex scenes attract interest, they need to be there for good reason. In the movie, when the protagonist has sex, it is significant and psychologically changing. So I made these scenes special. I focused on the expression on the actors' faces. When watching the movie, audiences will feel it.

Sex in a movie should relate to the theme of the movie. What is the theme of Norwegian Wood? It is that a main female character cannot make love and it leads to her death. It makes her guilty because she thought that her boyfriend's death was due to this reason. Murakami seems to overaccentuate sexuality. Sexuality is the salvation of his characters.

Did you have any trouble with Murakami, who is known to be very tough?

We didn't have any trouble with Haruki Murakami. He knows the cinema. The writer cannot intervene in the director's work. We discussed a lot and it was very good for me. It helped me to write the script. He was satisfied when he watched the movie. I think I'm lucky. Before I reached agreement with Murakami, he didn't want anybody to make a movie from his novel.

The novel focuses on characters' psychological states more than on situations. How do you sustain the interest of audiences in the movie?

The novel reminds me of my youth, with a lot of love and emotion and everything I experienced. It brings me to a special sadness about life and loss which people possible may not have had a chance to see. It is the reason why I made the movie. I believe that it will touch the hearts of audiences. If audiences reach the end of the movie and have remembered their own emotions of first love or fear of loss, I will have been successful.

The movie is being screened in Japan and I know that there have been many responses to the film in Japanese. I've been too busy to ask assistants to translate them for me. I will know in a few weeks.

I cannot guess the responses of Vietnamese audiences. I will have to wait for the answer. Obviously, I hope they will be moved after the come out of the theatre. — VNS

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Action flick kicks off holiday season

Black and white: Singer Siu Black and model Anh Thu in the movie Gentle as a Nun. — File Photo

HA NOI — Viet Nam's first holiday season movie release, Em Hien Nhu Ma So (Gentle as a Nun), hits cinemas yesterday.

In the film, directed by Hoang Thien Tru, a former singing star (real-life singer Siu Black) meets a Buddhist nun (Anh Thu) who is a martial arts expert on a secret mission to recover a priceless religious artefact. The two of them witness a murder committed by the son of a mafia boss and, entangled with the underworld, take refuge in a church.

Anh Thu has previously appeared in such popular films as Nhung Co Gai Chan Dai (Long-Legged Girls) and Hon Truong Ba Da Hang Thit (The Butcher's Soul and Truong Ba's Body). Playing a Buddhist martial arts nun in the new film, she spent two months in martial arts training and performs her own stunts in the film.

For Black, movie acting is still an experiment, although she turned in an engaging performance in the film Huyen Thoai Bat Tu (The Legend Alive). She turns in another surprising performance here, as a former star sour with the passing of her youth.

"I'm keen on action movies," said Black. "Sometimes I forget dialogue, but I'm absorbed in the action scenes,

The holiday movie season will eat up at Tet (Lunar New Year), when the Thien Ngan Studio will release Bong Ma Hoc Duong (Ghost at School), the first 3D movie from director Le Bao Trung.

"To prepare for my biggest project, I spent time to learn 3D filmmaking from specialist Chuck Comisky in Hong Kong," said Trung.

Trung and his crew were supported by cinematographer Joel Spezeski, and post-production for the film was completed in Hong Kong.

Pop singers Wanbi Tuan Anh, Truong Quynh Anh and Elly Tran all play leading roles in the film.

"By using 3D technology, we can make films completely different from 2D products, which have poorer images and music," said Dinh Thanh Huong, the movie's production manager.

High-tech, sophisticated productions would attract fans of different ages and backgrounds, he added.

Ghost at School will be screened in both 2D and 3D versions.

Viet Nam first saw 3D technology in the cartoon Phu Dong Thien Vuong, produced by the HCM City-based LCKSoft Company. Other 3D animations like Tho Va Rua (Rabbit and Turtle) and Chu Heo May Man (Lucky Pig), produced by the Viet Nam Cartoon Studio and the 3D Sao La company, have impressed children.

"I think making 3D cartoons and movies isn't difficult for domestic filmmakers," said Trung, who recently opened his own studio, LBT Entertainment. "But the problem is how to encourage movie producers to become involved in the new business."

Other movies expected for the holiday season will be the Viet Film Studio's Dai Chien Co Dau (Fighting Bride), Thien Su 99 (Angel 99) – produced for the teen market by Phuoc Sang Studio – and Sai Gon Yo! from the Chanh Phuong Studio. — VNS

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Cinemas expect end of year movie madness

Movie theaters are expecting good crowds for November and December when they screen new Vietnamese and American releases.

The success of Floating Lives raised cinema’s expectations for the Christmas period. The movie, filmed in Dong Thap Province, had a VND10 billion box office in the first 12 days of screening

“When a Vietnamese film with a good screenplay comes out, it shows that local audiences haven’t turned their back on homegrown movies,” Tran Nhut Anh Loan, operations manager of Saigon Movies Media, said.

Although Floating Lives wasn’t released for the holiday or Tet crowds and had some poor reviews, the film became a phenomenon at the ticket booth. “The success of this film erased the attitude that Vietnamese movies only survive thanks to Tet holiday,” said Ho Hoang Khanh Vy, representative of BHD Star Cinema Co. Ltd.

Another Vietnamese movie which excelled this year was Fool for Love produced by Early Riser and Wonder Boy Entertainment and directed by Charlie Nguyen. It earned VND3 billion after three days screening.

A new Vietnamese history movie called Aspiration of Thang Long will be released at the end of this year. The movie is about the great founder Ly Cong Uan, who moved the capital from the ancient Hoa Lu citadel to Thang Long (Hanoi). This film will show at Megastar cinemas nationwide from November 12.

The success of the blockbuster Avatar that earned US$1.5 million in Vietnam started a new era in 3D movies. Megastar Media Co. Ltd. recently added three more 3D cinemas to its lineup making a total of eight. Galaxy Studio JSC also has three 3D screens in HCMC. Saigon Movies Media, BHD Star Cinema have also opened screens.

Megastar brought eleven 3D movies to its cinemas in the last year with two more to come before the Christmas: Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Tron Legacy. BHD Star Cinema will show the 3D movie Street Dance at cinemas nationwide.

Other Hollywood titles to come this year are: Skyline, The Next Three Days, Paranormal Activity 2, Detective D, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Unstoppable.

Local movie director to be honored in Hollywood

Director Dang Nhat Minh (L) delivers a speech after receiving Best director for 2009’s Don’t Burn (Dung dot) - Photo: TTXVN

A ceremony to honor People’s Artist/director Dang Nhat Minh and a Vietnam Film Week featuring movies by young Vietnamese directors will be held on Wednesday in Hollywood, reports Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper.

“Mua oi” (Guava season) will be screened after the ceremony and the director will have a roundtable with audiences and people in the movie industry, the organizers, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), said.

AMPAS will also introduce all the movies directed by Dang Nhat Minh to American audiences to honor the talented director.

People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minh is one the leading directors in Vietnam. His works including Co gai tren song (A girl on a river), Ha Noi mua dong nam 46 (Hanoi - Winter of 1946), Thuong nho dong que (Nostalgia for Countryside) and Dung dot (Don’t Burn) have left a deep impression on local and international audiences and awarded at national and international film festivals. Among them, the 2009 movie “Don’t Burn” received audience choice award at Fukuoka International Film Festival in Japan and took three Golden Lotus awards for best movie, best script-writer and journalists’ choice at the 16th Vietnam Film Festival in 2009 and six Golden Kite awards in 2010.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

French, German and Vietnamese films screen at Idecaf

In October, the institute for cultural exchange with France (Idécaf), and the Goethe Institute HCMC will screen six award winning films from France, Germany and Vietnam.

French film La Graine et Le Mulet directed by Abdellatif Kechiche tells of a 60-year-old man named Beiji. A father of a broken family, he works at the marine port but his life gets harder as he gets old forcing him to give up his dream to own a restaurant. His family love him, however, and get together to try to make Beiji’s dream come true.

La Graine et Le Mulet will be screened on Oct 2 at 3 p.m. The movie won four Cesar awards in 2008, including best movie award.

Comme Les Autres of France also at 3 p.m. on Oct 9, was made by Vincent Garenq with Lambert Wilson, Pilar López de Ayala, Pascal Elbé and Anne Brochet. The film is a story of two gay men who cannot adopt a child. One of them marries a Columbian woman so she can live in France. She has to bear a child for her husband… and for his boyfriend.

Divided Heaven, a German movie based on the 1960’s novel of Christa Wolf describes the love tragedy of two persons when Germany was divided. Rita and Manfred fall in love but they have opposing political views. Rita has to choose when Manfred leaves the German Democratic Republic for Western Germany.

The film by director Konrad Wolf starring Dominique Pinon, Fanny Ardant and Audrey Dana will be screened on Oct 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Bi, Don’t Be Afraid!, a Vietnamese movie that won two awards at Cannes 2010, will be screened at 3p.m. on Oct 16. It is directed by Phan Dang Di and stars Hoa Thuy, Kieu Trinh, Mai Chau, Tran Tien, Ha Phong and Phan Thanh Minh.

The film is a story about a Hanoian family told by a six-year-old boy named Bi. His father and grandpa are distracted from family affairs by their hobbies, but don’t know they are hurting the women in the family.

Letters from Son My, which was shown at Cannes 2010, will be screened on Oct 23, 40 years after the Son My massacre. William Calley, a lieutenant who had commanded a massacre of 504 innocent people in 1968, apologizes to the public: “There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai. I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry....”

The film follows Calley as he stays in the house of a Vietnamese piano teacher, who he met on a train to Quang Ngai Province. Calley sends letters to his wife and tells her about how Vietnam has changed and the strong character of people in Son My on Tuesday.

Le Dan directed the movie.

The Little Heart of Nguyen Thanh Van, starring Hong Anh, Lan Ha and Kim Hanh will be screened at 3p.m. on Oct 30. The film tells about Mai, a 17-year-old girl, who leaves her home town for Saigon with the hope to be a tailor. But Saigon is not what she hoped for and she returns home with HIV.

The Little Heart won the 2007 Silver and Golden Kite Awards for best director, actress, soundtrack and movie.

Idécaf is at 31 Thai Van Lung, HCMC’s District 1 with tickets at VND15,000.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Vietnam yet to become locale for foreign flicks

A scene from The Quiet American shot in Vietnam

Photo: IMDB

In the last decade many films set in Vietnam were actually shot in Thailand, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries, causing the country loss of revenues as well as opportunities to promote itself.

“So, why do foreign producers hesitate to shoot in Vietnam?” Tuoi Tre asked a panel of Vietnamese experts.

Film producer Tran Bich Ngoc, who has worked with international crews for the Vertical Ray of The Sun, The Quiet American, and the recent Manoj ‘Night’ Shyamalan flick The Last Airbender, explained that foreign filmmakers give Vietnam a miss because of the lack of technical equipment here.

“They [foreign movie crews] have to bring a lot of equipment and technical teams from their country to Vietnam. This leads to high costs, a great concern for any moviemaker. The economic crisis has badly affected investment in movies and producers now look for countries offering tax breaks.”

Director Dinh Anh Dung said, however, that money is not an issue for big Hollywood producers. He referred to the movie Pinkville Oliver Stone plans to make on the 1968 My Lai massacre. Thailand and the Philippines, which have helicopters, rice fields, and villages that look similar to that of Vietnam, have welcomed him.

“[But] even though it is more expensive, Stone wants to shoot in Vietnam to capture the real emotions. However, because of paperwork, the movie remains on hold. Does anyone realize that if big directors come here to shoot, local moviemakers can learn from them?”

Nguyen Huu Tuan, the second unit camera operator for The Quite American, recalled: “When Oliver Stone came to Vietnam to check locations for Heaven and Earth, we asked to inspect the script. He left immediately and decided not to shoot here any more.”

Vietnam has lost many opportunities to earn revenue due to its tortuous bureaucratic procedures, he said.

“In the documentary on the making of The Quiet American …, one line producer honestly admitted that the process of getting a filming permit in Vietnam was a nightmare.”

In Asia, the race to become a big filming location for Hollywood movies is getting heated with Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan all implementing policies to attract foreign film investors.

Ngoc said it is getting better for foreign movie makers in Vietnam.

The country is also getting more and more mention at festivals like Cannes, Berlin, and Venice and there are Vietnamese movie weeks like the ones in Hanoi and Los Angeles, the US, she said.

“It is time we have a long-term plan to promote the country to the world’s movie makers. It will help Vietnam’s film environment improve, promote tourism, and give Vietnamese filmmakers exposure to world standards”.

Do Duy Anh, head of the international section in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s cinema department, said the issue is still very new to the country. In recent years 15-20 foreign film crews have been shooting in Vietnam every year, he said.

Only when Vietnam joined the WTO [in 2007] was a law on cinema passed, he said.

“But the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism does not yet issued permits directly to foreign individuals or organizations.

“Foreign film crews who want to shoot in Vietnam need to collaborate with a Vietnamese film production company who will help them to submit an application and the script and its Vietnamese translation.

The ministry has to process the application within 30 days.”

Friday, September 10, 2010

Vietnam yet to become locale for foreign flicks