Positive premise
As of the morning of April 22, Tunnels: The Sun in the Dark has surpassed the 150 billion VND mark in revenue, becoming the highest-grossing historical and revolutionary war film ever. “The fact that Tunnels: The Sun in the Dark has been very successful in terms of revenue makes film producers like us very happy. This success will encourage investors to be more bold when investing in historical films,” said Ms. Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, representative of BHD Production, the unit that has just announced the project Ho Linh Trang Si: Bi Am Tom of King Dinh .
Ms. Ngo Thi Bich Hanh also believes that now is the right time to invest in producing works on historical themes. Taking the example of the film Ho linh trang si: Bi am mo king Dinh , the project received support from leaders, businesses and people in Ninh Binh ; was consulted by many historians and a young generation researching history, ancient costumes... Ms. Hanh confided: "What makes us touched is that the love of history is growing strongly in many young people. They are also an important audience group, with a desire to watch Vietnamese historical films".
Sharing the same opinion, actress - producer Truong Ngoc Anh informed that the success of Tunnels: Sun in the Dark is something to be appreciated, opening a direction for historical films as well as opening the door for those who want to make historical films. She expressed: “In the past, when hearing about historical films, most people were afraid that after production, they would be put away or no one would watch them. But now, the successes of Dao, Pho and Piano, Tunnels: Sun in the Dark … show that this type of film can be made and can be accepted. Every film will have flaws, but I believe that the audience will still support us if we make serious historical films like this.”
On the occasion of September 2, audiences will have the opportunity to watch another film about revolutionary war: Red Rain (director, Meritorious Artist Dang Thai Huyen, screenwriter: writer Chu Lai). The film is inspired by the event of 81 days and nights of heroic and resilient fighting by the people and cadres and soldiers to protect Quang Tri Ancient Citadel in 1972. Those 81 days and nights have become a legend, one of the most vivid expressions of the Vietnamese people's aspiration for independence, freedom, and national unification in the resistance war against the US to save the country.
Many difficulties to overcome
Producer Bich Hanh shared that the inspiration to make Ho linh trang si: Bi am to mo king Dinh started about 10 years ago, through the story of a boatman in Trang An. However, when starting to make the film, the crew faced countless difficulties, even though this is a legendary genre. The budget was large, the setting, props, and costumes were almost non-existent because historical documents of this period were very scarce, at times it seemed hopeless. The action - martial arts genre increased the difficulty, requiring the restoration of settings and props that were both historical, aesthetic, and suitable for filming conditions and Vietnamese culture. Filming in difficult terrain such as mountains and rivers was also a big challenge for a large film crew. “One of the biggest challenges right now is finding a cast that loves the job, acts well, and has martial arts skills. More importantly, they must commit to spending 6 months training and 2 months filming according to the strict requirements of the 2 directors - which is not easy when the actors are busy with many projects,” said Ms. Bich Hanh.
This challenge is also what the crew of The Tunnels: The Sun in the Dark has experienced. Director Bui Thac Chuyen himself once requested that the actors not be allowed to run around to ensure absolute concentration. Luckily, during months of preparation and about 2 months of filming, the actors were all devoted to their roles. That is why director Bui Thac Chuyen always shared that those who make The Tunnels: The Sun in the Dark must always have the mindset of a historical filmmaker, both serious about the eternal values of history and creative, ensuring the artistic and entertainment values of a film. Sometimes difficulties arise in the midst of favorable conditions, such as being supported with military equipment, but to effectively coordinate each scene requires very careful calculation, in accordance with the script's intention.
These difficulties also happened to the Red Rain film crew. In addition to having to face harsh weather conditions, the film crew also faced many challenges in terms of budget, setting, costumes, props and even personnel.
The success of Tunnels: Sun in the Dark shows that, despite being a project entirely produced and calling for investment by the private sector, the film still receives support and close coordination from agencies and organizations. This becomes a typical model for the public-private coordination model as an effective way to overcome difficulties for historical films in particular and the field of literature and art in general.
“Support from public-private partnerships or support from state agencies in many aspects is especially important for Vietnamese historical and cultural films. Because without the encouragement and support from state agencies, seeing too many difficulties, producers may not dare to invest in traditional, historical, revolutionary films…”, said Ms. Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, representative of BHD production house.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/viet-tiep-dong-phim-lich-su-post792741.html
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