Director of the film Red Rain - Dang Thai Huyen: Inspiring love of history

Sharing at the special screening of Red Rain at Quang Tri Citadel, director Dang Thai Huyen emotionally called this a tribute to the martyrs, a moment the entire crew had been waiting for for 3 years. Each film not only recreates history, but also serves as a bridge connecting the past and present, sending a deep message of gratitude to today's generation.

REPORTER: Red Rain is approaching the 500 billion VND mark, breaking all previous records of Vietnamese films shown in theaters. How do you feel about this news?

Director DANG THAI HUYEN : People's Army Cinema and the crew are all very happy. I think the problem is not the revenue but the joy and happiness come from the information outside the theater, people lining up to buy tickets to see Red Rain . The fact that the film is well received by the audience is the reward for the film crew, the thing that the crew wants to aim for the most. We feel that all the difficulties, hardships, and exhaustion during nearly 3 years of official preparation and 81 days of filming have been duly compensated.

Director Dang Thai Huyen

According to you, which point of Red Rain conquered the audience?

We have a great script by writer Chu Lai, and a strong team working together with the People's Army Cinema to make the film. We always tell each other that this is not just a film project but like a campaign, a battle... where we are not allowed to lose, not allowed to compromise. Red Rain was made very seriously to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, but more specifically, the work is a respectful incense offering to pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs who fell so that we can have peace like today. Red Rain was made with all the heart and soul of the participating staff, so perhaps it touched the audience's emotions and was well received by the audience.

How do you perceive today's young audience? Are they ready to accept past stories with a new mindset?

I don't think it's in terms of young audiences being more easygoing or open-minded, but in terms of being fair and professional. A work that is done carefully and seriously has no reason for the audience not to accept it, regardless of age. The truth is that when making Red Rain , the audience I aimed at was more young audiences. The reason? Because I want them to be the ones who need to understand, love, and appreciate historical values ​​more than anyone else. Because they are the main force in building and protecting the country in the future.

What moment on set do you remember?

I remember all the memories of the 81 days and nights the crew devoted themselves on set in the cold, rain and mud. There were moments when we thought we would collapse because of the terrible weather and the big scenes that were too complicated compared to the original vision.

I remember the last scene of the film the most, which was also the scene that entered the 81st day and also the ending scene of the “81st day” in the film. Everyone hugged each other, laughing and crying with happiness. I walked towards the riverbank, whispering to myself, “Huyen, you have completed the mission.” That was a moment I will probably never forget.

The decision to film right on the banks of the Thach Han River must not have been easy. Why did the crew choose this location, and how did that experience affect the emotions and spirit of everyone in the crew?

Right from the stage of choosing the setting, we considered many options, from using special effects to finding alternative locations. But then everyone agreed that nothing could be more sacred and authentic than filming at Thach Han River - where our ancestors fell to protect the Citadel. That choice also meant facing countless difficulties, especially the harsh weather, the days of pouring rain.

The Red Rain film crew initially planned to shoot for 65 days (maximum), but due to weather conditions and many other objective factors, working with complex war scenes, the time was extended to 75 days and the closing date was 81 days. In that setting, we felt like we were reliving the old battlefield atmosphere and each member of the crew felt like a soldier, carrying a sacred mission in their hearts. We did not consider this a film project, but a mission that we had to devote all our efforts to.

Main actors in the movie Red Rain

What is your biggest pressure?

The biggest pressure for me is that I know that works about historical and revolutionary war themes will have to be examined through the lens of audiences who demand that films stick to history. While feature films are fictional, they are a way of telling stories that are inherently emotional, symbolic or possibly romantic. Feature films cannot replace the mission of documentary films or purely historical films. The mission of feature films is to inspire viewers so that they have more motivation to learn more deeply and thoroughly about that historical story. I am glad that after Red Rain was released, the documents about the story of 81 days and nights of protecting the ancient citadel, the novel Red Rain by writer Chu Lai, the number of tourists visiting the ancient citadel during the recent holiday... all increased dramatically. I think to some extent, Red Rain has completed its mission.

After Red Rain, does People's Army Cinema have any next projects with war and history themes? What opportunities are there for war and history films?

People's Army Cinema is nurturing many projects. But we can only announce them when we have the approval of the superior agency. From a personal perspective, as a director, I can only say that historical and revolutionary war films will always be the subject that we pursue and consider it our mission.

Performed by MAI AN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dao-dien-phim-mua-do-dang-thai-huyen-truyen-cam-hung-ve-tinh-yeu-lich-su-post811924.html