The reason Phuong My Chi was chosen to play the main role in the movie instead of Kaity Nguyen and Uyen An

Huynh Lap revealed that he had wanted to invite Uyen An and Kaity Nguyen to play the lead roles in the film "Nha Gia Tien" (Ancestral House), but ultimately decided to choose Phuong My Chi.

Ancestral home This is the next film project written and directed by Huynh Lap. Notably, Phuong My Chi has been cast as the female lead, My Tien, in the film. This also marks the first time the "folk song girl" has tried her hand at filmmaking.

In the trailer, Phuong My Chi received much praise from viewers for her natural acting, perfectly capturing the cheerful and lovable spirit of the character.

Phuong My Chi plays the female lead in the film.

Director Huynh Lap revealed that when he started searching for the lead actress for the film, Phuong My Chi wasn't the first name that came to mind. When writing the script, Huynh Lap thought of Puka with the image of a successful woman returning to her family. Later, he wanted his character to be younger, so he considered Uyen An and Kaity Nguyen.

"After working with director Ly Minh Thang, he introduced Phuong My Chi to me. Before that, Chi had auditioned for a role in his own project. When Chi came to audition, I decided to choose her because she perfectly matched the character I was looking for," Huynh Lap shared.

After working together, Huynh Lap praised Phuong My Chi's acting ability: "In the first few days of filming, Chi was a little nervous. By the third day, she had to film emotional scenes. After that, Chi gradually believed in the character My Tien, to the point where she could act immediately as soon as the camera started rolling, even crying right on set."

"At that time, My Chi was just a name; only My Tien was on set. Furthermore, Phuong My Chi created the character in her own way and contributed quite a lot to the dialogue," the director said.

Speaking about her first leading role in a film, Phuong My Chi admitted that she was drawn to the character from the moment she read the script for "The Ancestral House".

"The film has elements of Vietnamese culture. Besides, I also have a great fondness for Huynh Lap, so I immediately accepted the role. I tried to learn and ask Mr. Lap and Mr. Ly Minh Thang how to best embody the character. Everyone supported me so that I could become the best My Tien," the singer said.

Regarding the reason for "not joining the Lunar New Year film race," Huynh Lap responded: "Initially, I planned to release the film in December, but the film required too much special effects, so it couldn't be completed on time and had to be finished after the Lunar New Year. I also believe that few viewers would go to the cinema on the first day of the Lunar New Year to see a ghost film; it's a bit sensitive. After the Lunar New Year would be a more suitable time for the film."

Huynh Lap shared that he made many changes to the production process of his second feature film.

Five years after "The Blind Sorcerer," he learned from and watched many Vietnamese films. With "The Ancestral House," Huynh Lap changed the distribution of characters. He is no longer the central character; instead, his family is the center. All the characters who appear complement and complete the story about family and kinship.

"I exercised restraint in both the script and the acting to ensure everything was balanced and in line with the cinematic spirit. The spiritual element in this film is not heavy or horror-oriented, but rather leans towards the spirituality of everyday life, something present in Vietnamese life such as ancestral commemoration ceremonies, offerings, and worship," the director added.

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