Writing is not about finding glory
Lan Huong entered the cinema at the age of 10 with the role of Ngoc Ha in Em Be Ha Noi - a classic film by director Hai Ninh. The image of little Ngoc Ha with clear eyes amidst the smoke and bombs of Hanoi became a symbol of Vietnamese cinema during wartime.
Few people know that director Hai Ninh spent months going to children's clubs to look for actors and Lan Huong's mother objected because she was worried about her child's young age. It was not until Dr. Tran Duy Hung, then Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, wrote a handwritten letter to the family that Lan Huong was allowed to participate in the film.
Since then, art has become her destiny. At the age of 15, Lan Huong passed the first class of actors at the Youth Theatre, the same age as Chi Trung, Le Khanh, Minh Hang, Anh Tu... And for more than half a century after that, she has devoted herself to the stage, cinema, and television.
Lan Huong appeared in a series of famous works such as: First Love , Last Night of the Year , Those Who Live By My Side, Grand Tutor Tran Thu Do , Living with Mother-in-law ... On stage, she is one of the pioneers in experimenting with physical drama - a difficult and new genre in Vietnam.
In 2004, she switched to directing and teaching at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, retiring in 2022 after 10 years in the classroom. But retirement does not mean stopping.
After many years away from the spotlight, People's Artist Lan Huong returns in a role that surprises the art world: stage scriptwriter.
Regularly appearing at theater-related conferences, most recently in Bac Ninh , People's Artist Lan Huong shared with VietNamNet reporter that at the age of over 60, she cannot sit still and rest but chooses to pick up a pen to continue a game that requires passion and perseverance - writing to keep the fire of the profession.
The artist said she had completed the manuscript of Dao Lieu - her brainchild that she had cherished, researched and completed for 4 years. The work is set in the late 19th century - the time when the Can Vuong movement was boiling, also the time when the singing world was looked down upon. Through the main character Tram Huong - a talented singer but suffered from many prejudices and persecutions, People's Artist Lan Huong wanted to send a haunting message: "Art is light but artists often have to burn in the darkness of prejudice and power to preserve their dignity and humanity".
"I have spent many years reading, writing and struggling to find my own voice. Through the encouragement of my colleagues, I have more confidence to continue writing the historical and literary scripts that I cherish. I do not write to regain glory but to keep the passion for the profession. The stage is my second life and each script is a journey to find the truth of emotions. I am not afraid of old age. I am only afraid that one day I will no longer have the emotions to write and to live with art" - People's Artist Lan Huong shared.
The artist shared that he really likes to participate in movies if there is a suitable script, especially movies about war, which are closely related to his childhood and the beginning of his career: "I often joke that now they invite me to act in a war movie so that I can know the feeling of making a war movie at the age of 10 is different from that of making a war movie at the age of 60."
The "Hanoi Baby" of the past is now a veteran artist, witnessing many ups and downs of Vietnamese cinema, but she still has faith and love for her country and art.
"Patriotism - that is the sustainable source of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema. That love flows through many generations, so that today we can be creative and integrate while still preserving national identity," People's Artist Lan Huong expressed.
Collision, bowls and chopsticks were knocked over, but everything went back to normal.
People's Artist Lan Huong and Director Tat Binh got married in 1988. At that time, both were familiar faces in Vietnamese cinema and had been through a marriage before. Two strong personalities, two artistic souls that seemed difficult to reconcile, but then they became closely attached for nearly 40 years.
The artist smiled gently when talking about married life: "Living with Mr. Tat Binh from 1988 until now, there have been many collisions, fights, and disagreements, but thanks to the fate of husband and wife, everything has returned to normal. We have never sat down to negotiate whether he or she should be this or that, but over the years we have still lived together."
Her secret is simple but profound, which is to respect each other's freedom. Lan Huong said she always gives her husband his own space. "He likes to go drinking with friends, I never nag, I accept him to go, going out is fun and drinking is drunk, so when he comes home he throws up, I'm still happy" - the female artist said.
For Lan Huong, love does not need control but understanding. She believes that trust and tolerance are the foundation to maintain a warm home.
"Over the years, we still choose each other to live, without restraint or imposition. Perhaps that's why we are still peaceful until today."
She said that both of them are famous people but do not live in the spotlight but choose a normal, peaceful life in a small residential area in Hanoi. Besides reading books and writing scripts, she spends a lot of time on spiritual life: "The older we get, the more introverted we become, the more we need silence to reflect on ourselves."
People's Artist Lan Huong in "Hanoi Baby":
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/sau-nghi-huu-o-tuoi-u70-nsnd-lan-huong-em-be-ha-noi-cong-bo-dieu-bat-ngo-2453247.html
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