HCMC Cinema - "taking off" from traditional support

In the strong transformation of Ho Chi Minh City cinema in recent decades, along with state-owned film studios, there are also important contributions from private filmmakers as well as Vietnamese filmmakers living abroad. Their dynamism, creativity, sensitivity, expertise, and ability to keep up with trends have created many resounding works and continuously broken revenue records.

Strong transformation

Located on Dao Trinh Nhat Street (Linh Tay Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), CineV Studio has an area of up to 6 hectares (about 60,000m2) and is considered the first closed film studio in Ho Chi Minh City, capable of hosting 6 film crews at the same time. 90% of the film set for Mrs. Nu's House, 70% of the film set for Sister Sister 2, the second largest set for Southern Forest Land, Hue streets before 1975 in Em and Trinh... were all staged and filmed here; and countless TV series, web dramas, short films.

Behind this studio is the 8X “female general” Le Thi Kieu Nhi, who is willing to give up her film production job to pursue her dream of a film studio with the concept: “To advance to the professional film industry, it is necessary to have a professional studio”. It is the pioneering of private filmmakers like Le Thi Kieu Nhi that has contributed significantly to the development of Ho Chi Minh City cinema.

Director Victor Vu on the set of "The Last Wife"

In the socialization of cultural and artistic fields in Ho Chi Minh City, cinema is the industry that has left the strongest mark. According to Ms. Duong Cam Thuy, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Cinema Association, this success is due to the quickness, good use of human resources, and taking advantage of all resources in society. That is demonstrated through the many movies produced each year with rich and diverse themes; the modern cinema complex system completely operated by the private sector; the close connection with the world cinema market...

The mark of socialized cinema in Ho Chi Minh City has existed since the late 1980s and early 1990s. Actor Ly Hung still remembers clearly that his father - the late People's Artist Ly Huynh - was not only the first person to successfully bring martial arts into Vietnamese cinema, but his family's film studio also became a "power" at that time.

Many films such as Tears of a Student, The Love of a White-Shirted Girl, Thang Long the First Sword, Fire in Dai La Citadel, Tay Son Knight, Bodhi Warrior, Mountain God and Water Monster... were not only successful in terms of revenue, but also created a generation of movie stars with great appeal: Ly Hung, Diem Huong, Le Cong Tuan Anh, Viet Trinh, Y Phung, Mong Van...

Many action films were pioneers in co-production with Hong Kong and Taiwan such as Hong Hai Hiep, Plan 99 - The Sky's Net, Phoenix Mission... with the participation of many famous names from Hong Kong: Le Tu, Mac Thieu Thong, Trinh Thieu Thu, Tien Tieu Hao... In the 2000s, when Vietnamese cinema flourished again, Ly Hung's family also pioneered in making historical films about Tay Son Hao Kiet.

During the decline of instant noodle films, state-owned film studios fell into crisis when they switched from a subsidized regime to an economic accounting regime, with partial funding from the State. By the early 2000s, private film studios were the ones to revive the market with works that had both high revenue and artistic quality.

From the movie Gai Nhay (directed by Le Hoang) with a revenue of 12 billion VND in 2003, to the revenue of more than 520 billion VND of the movie Mai (directed by Tran Thanh) currently showing domestically and internationally, it shows an impressive leap and the important contribution of private filmmakers. Even in the Project for Developing the Cultural Industry of Ho Chi Minh City to 2030, it is also pointed out that more than 99% of the establishments operating in the city's film industry belong to private enterprises.

Let's "contribute"

In late March, the Vietnamese film market was bustling when Muon Vi Nhan Gian - the work that won director Tran Anh Hung the Best Director award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, was widely released. Director Tran Anh Hung belongs to the first generation of directors of Vietnamese origin to return to Vietnam to make films and make a strong impression with prestigious film awards.

To date, The Scent of Green Papaya is still the only Vietnamese-language film nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1994 Oscars. Director Tran Anh Hung acknowledged that Vietnamese-origin directors returning to make films have contributed to the richness and diversity of the country's cinema. "But more importantly, among them are people who can make blockbuster films. This is essential to creating a professional, specialized, and marketable cinema," said director Tran Anh Hung.

According to critic Tuan Lalarme, cinema is an art form with a strong element of audiovisual entertainment, a synthesis of many elements, with the contributions of many people. He analyzed: "For such a machine to be maintained, each film work must achieve commercial success, otherwise the film industry cannot develop strongly."

Over the past 30 years, many talented overseas directors of Vietnamese origin have made many contributions to Vietnamese cinema in general and Ho Chi Minh City cinema in particular, in both artistic quality and revenue. At the same time as Tran Anh Hung, we cannot fail to mention director Ho Quang Minh, who returned to Vietnam to make films in the 1980s with works such as: Con thuc tat phan, Trang giay trang, Bui hong, Thoi xa vang. Thoi xa vang in particular was continuously honored at the Shanghai, Munich, Singapore, and Asian Film Festivals...

And of the same generation, we must also mention the two director brothers Tony Bui with Three Seasons, who won a triple award: Audience Award, Grand Jury Prize and Cinematography Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival; and many other prestigious awards. Director Luu Huynh is also a name that has made many impressions with a series of highly rated films such as: Ao lua Ha Dong, Huyen thoai bat tu, Lai chong nguoi ta, or most recently, Me oi! Buom day won the Silver Lotus and 2 Best Actress awards at the 2023 Vietnam Film Festival. Director Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh with Mua len trau, Nuoc 2030, or Khi yeu dung quay dau lai, showed a strong personal mark.

The current generation has names such as: Charlie Nguyen (Dong mau anh hung, De mai tinh 2, Chang vo cua em, Teo em...); Victor Vu (Nguoi vo cuoi cuoi, Mat biec, Qua tim mau, Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh); Le Van Kiet (Hai Phuong, Ngoi nha trong hem, Bong den); Ngo Thanh Van (Tam Cam: Chuyen chua ke); Ham Tran (Doat hon, Sieu thiep, Maika: Co be den from other planet); Dustin Nguyen (798 Muoi, Trung so, Lua Phat); Leon Quang Le (Song lang)... many of them are successful in terms of revenue, people who bring a new color to Vietnamese cinema, rich in artistry.

Critic Tuan Lalarme commented that the strongest mark of Vietnamese filmmakers is to inspire large-scale, more professional, and more marketable filmmaking. “There will come a time when we will have a generation of talented directors who will produce good films compared to the world average,” he believed.

Director Tran Anh Hung's promise to return to Vietnam to make a film about women, Charlie Nguyen's large-scale project about "perfect spy" Pham Xuan An, Quan Ky Nam, Leon Le's second film... are works by overseas Vietnamese directors that have received high expectations.

Before falling into decline, state-owned film studios in Ho Chi Minh City were fueled by the tradition of Bung bien cinema. Established in Tay Ninh (in 1962), Giai Phong Film Studio produced hundreds of films, videos, documentaries, animations, etc. These include: Wild Fields, Season of the Monsoon Wind, Love of Cu Chi Land, Hon Dat, Van Bai Lat Nguoc, Vi Bitter Love, Conscience of the Little One, Vinh Biet Mua He, Lanh Dao, Ai Thuoi Van Ly, Me Thao Thoi Vang Bong, Gai Nha, Long Thanh Cam Gia Ca, Mui Co Chay... After 1975, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Film Studio was established and had many typical works: Con loc den, Nguoi hoc tro da Gia Dinh Xua, Trai chan, Tieng goi gio minh, Ngon co gio choi, Ngoi nha oan khuc, Chiec mat ma da nguoi...

Top 10 highest grossing films by Vietnamese directors

1. Hai Phuong (director Le Van Kiet): 200 billion VND

2. Blue Eyes (Victor Vu): 180 billion VND

3. Let Mai Count 2 (Charlie Nguyen): 101 billion VND

4. The Last Wife (Victor Vu): 100 billion VND

5. My Husband (Charlie Nguyen): 86 billion VND

6. Bloody Heart (Victor Vu): 85 billion VND

7. Teo em (Charlie Nguyen): 80 billion VND

8. I see yellow flowers on green grass (Victor Vu): 78 billion VND

9. Sister Sister (Kathy Uyen): 71 billion VND

10. Tam Cam: The Untold Story (Ngo Thanh Van): 70 billion VND

Data: BOX OFFICE VIETNAM