Actress and film director Kim Khanh recently launched her new project, Hon buom (Butterfly Soul), a documentary on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in HCM City.

Jessica Nguyen’s story is featured in Butterfly Soul, a documentary on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by female director Kim ​Khanh of HCM Cit​y

The film is about three women, Jessica Nguyen, Yen My and Nha An, who face challenges in their careers and private lives after their gender-reassignment operations, still a sensitive topic in Vietnam. 

It focuses on sex change and same-sex marriage rights in Vietnam. The work also addresses the gap between laws protecting LGBT rights and public opinion towards people in the LGBT community.

Khanh and her staff worked with dozens of transgender people to feature their stories in Hon Buom.

The film was funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR/Emergency Plan) - a US governmental initiative to address global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from diseases.

Khanh began her movie career in 1991 after winning a top prize at a beauty contest in HCM City. She has performed in dozens of TV series and films by talented directors Chau Hue and Phi Tien Son.

In 2003, she won the Mai Vang (Golden Apricot) Prize for the Year’s Best Female Film Actress presented by the HCM City-based Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper. She worked as a theatre director for private theatres, drama clubs and TV stations.

Her first film, Hon Buom, will be in cinemas and produced by BHD, one of the country’s leading film producers and contributors, early next month.-VNA