Revealing the film set in Con Dao prison is being shared widely on social networks

On September 13, Facebook users in Vietnam spread a clip with many skinny young men chained by their feet, lying on stone beds like in prison. The description lines accompanying the clip read "a scene recreating the image of Con Dao prisoners" which immediately attracted many people's attention because of its convincingness and authenticity.

The short clip was shared widely on many groups and websites, with a total of millions of views and many comments and shares.

According to research, this is a behind-the-scenes part of the movie "Sounds Crossing the Ocean" posted by a crew member before the filming day. The movie was ordered by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to be produced by Feature Film Joint Stock Company I.

Scenes filmed on Con Dao Island itself

The film will be produced from around November 2024 to the end of January 2025, promising to recreate part of the cruel reality and tragic history of Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers, during the resistance war against France from 1945-1954 at the "hell on earth" Con Dao prison.

In addition to the interior scenes filmed in the studio, most of the exterior scenes were filmed on location in Con Dao. The crew said they recreated the setting to suit the film’s cinematic qualities and content, while respecting history.

Some images in the movie. (Photo: DPCC)

"The entire crew filmed in Con Dao, so transportation, supplies, and materials were limited," said Tran Khanh Du, the film's artist. "There were days when the waves were so strong that there were no boats to the island. Sometimes we needed to buy a box of paint, but there wasn't any on the entire island, so we had to transport it from the mainland. The filming was during the monsoon season, so the wind was very strong, blowing away all the filming equipment, but because of that, I found the scenes very realistic."

The film follows Tam (Thuy Duong) - a female soldier planted by the revolutionary organization, infiltrating Con Dao prison to support the prisoners. Here she meets Duy (Quang Thuan) - a loyal soldier who is carrying out a prison escape plan.

In addition, the work also features People's Artist Bui Bai Binh, actor Vinh Xuong, actor Charlie Win...

Actress Thuy Duong and People's Artist Bui Bai Binh. (Photo: Producer)

The title "Sounds Across the Ocean" refers to the girl's monochord sound, representing the human identity and vitality of the nation, while emphasizing the message: Today's peace and freedom had to be exchanged for much blood and tears of previous generations.

"We believe that 'Sounds Across the Ocean' will bring tears to the audience, but not because of sadness, but because of pride and emotion before the indomitable spirit of our ancestors. The film is a tribute, a respectful incense stick offered to the children who fell for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland" - the film crew representative shared.

Prison break scene in the movie. (Photo: Producer)

Is there a second "Peach, Pho and Piano"?

According to information from Feature Film Joint Stock Company I, "Sound Across the Ocean" will be released on September 16, 2025, but there are no plans to release it widely in private cinema systems.

Previously in 2024, there was "Peach, Pho and Piano", which was also a film ordered by the State from Feature Film Joint Stock Company I. The work initially had a limited number of screenings and was only shown at the National Cinema Center - a public service unit specializing in screening films for political and social purposes.

When shared on social media by a famous TikTok user, the film suddenly became a viral phenomenon and tickets were constantly in short supply. After that, due to the high demand, many other private entities participated in screening the film as a "firefighting" solution.

"Peach, Pho and Piano" - the movie that unexpectedly became a hit in 2024. (Photo: Producer)

In the context that Vietnamese audiences are very interested in works with historical and war themes, "Sounds Crossing the Ocean" also needs to have a plan to screen widely to meet the needs of viewers, contributing to the achievement of the film's goals ordered by the State.

Sharing about this, Director of the Department of Cinema Dang Tran Cuong said that for commissioned projects, official communication activities are often implemented according to a specific plan, linked to the dissemination schedule. Because this is a collaborative project between many parties and is in the stage of completing the release documents, the Department of Cinema and Feature Film Joint Stock Company I need to ensure full procedures, copyright and official release schedule.

"In the coming time, the Department of Cinema will work with Feature Film Joint Stock Company I and related parties to officially announce the content and release plan, ensuring a more widespread, synchronous and systematic introduction so that the film reaches the public effectively, in the right direction and fully promotes the artistic value as well as the message that the work conveys," said the Director of the Department of Cinema.

Mr. Dang Tran Cuong also affirmed that films using the state budget are films produced with the requirement of serving political tasks, not focusing on revenue factors but the first goal is how to make the film accessible to a wide range of people and watch the film. "Based on such requirements, we will have a dissemination plan to meet the requirements," said the Director.

Trailer for the movie "Sound Across the Ocean" :