Actress Do Thi Hai Yen plays the famous queen in Vietnamese history.

Do Thi Hai Yen took a photo with Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan at the Busan Film Festival. (Photo: VFDA)

At the conference “The Pulse of Vietnamese Cinema - Introducing Promising Projects” at the Busan Film Festival on September 22, the film crew of “Ho Linh Trang Si” announced that actress Do Thi Hai Yen will play the role of Queen Duong Van Nga.

The film's full name is "Ho linh trang sy: Bi thuc vuong Dinh" (Guardian of the brave warriors: The mystery of King Dinh's tomb) and is a historical film, recreating the folk tale about seven knights whose mission is to keep secret the burial place of King Dinh Tien Hoang after he was assassinated in 979.

While there are no historical documents to confirm this, this is an opportunity for cinema to take advantage of its right to fiction, telling a story that has a positive impact on the audience as well as Vietnamese culture.

However, Empress Dai Thang Minh - or popularly known as Empress Duong Van Nga - was a real person. She was famous as the empress of two emperors, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, and played an important role in transferring power from the Dinh Dynasty to the Tien Le Dynasty, keeping peace in the world.

A representative of the film crew shared that Do Thi Hai Yen was the top choice for the role. The costumes designed specifically for the actress were also announced during the workshop at the Busan Film Festival.

Representatives of the film crew "Ho linh trang si" and some related characters at the film promotion in Korea. (Photo: VFDA)

"Guardian Spirit of the Warrior" is directed by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh ( Endless Field, Dance of the Stork ), and Nguyen K'Linh ( I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, Tunnel ) is in charge of photography.

In addition to Do Thi Hai Yen, the film also features Johnny Tri Nguyen and People's Artist Tu Long as actors, and musician Quoc Trung in charge of music . The film is expected to be released in 2026.

Do Thi Hai Yen, born in 1982, is a dancer who switched to acting. She is known to audiences through less controversial films that have a long-lasting place in the history of Vietnamese cinema.

At the age of 17, the actress first appeared in “Vertical Summer” (2000). Later, she played in “Pao's Story” (2005), “Adrift” (2008), “Endless Field” (2010), “Father and Son and...” (2015).

Notably, in 2001, Do Thi Hai Yen played Phuong in Phillip Noyce’s “The Quiet American” – one of the most famous Hollywood works set during the Vietnam War. The film starred two superstars Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser, receiving many awards and nominations, including an Oscar nomination for British actor Michael Caine.

The 2024-2026 period of Do Thi Hai Yen is considered to be quite explosive when she participates in not only 1, but also 2 other projects as the female lead: “Quan Ky Nam” by Leon Le and “1982” by Nguyen Hoang Diep. “1982” is in the completion stage. “Quan Ky Nam” has premiered in Toronto and is expected to be shown in Vietnam soon./.