VietNamNet Bridge would like to introduce to our readers the most famous families whose members are great talents of Vietnam’s cinema industry.

Director couple Nguyen Thanh Van – Pham Nhue Giang

They were born in families of arts and grew up with cinema. The father of director Pham Nhue Giang is well-known director Pham Van Khoa.

People’s Artist Khoa was among the leading names of the general of directors in the wartime. His products “Lua Trung Tuyen” (Median Fire), “Lua Rung” (Fire of Forest) and “Sau Con Bao” (After Storm” were produced in the 60s of the fierce war of resistance against the US. They were also the first movies in the history of Vietnam’s revolutionary cinema.

In 1980, director Khoa began shooting the movie “Chi Dau”, adapted from the “Tat Den” (Turn of the Light) by Ngo Tat To. In 1983, he released the movie “Lang Vu Dai Ngay Ay” (Vu Dai Village That Day), adapted from three short stories “Chi Pheo”, “Lao Hac” and “Song Mon” by Nam Cao. These are the two most famous movies in the history of Vietnam’s cinema.

Director Khoa received the third-class Independence Order in 1985. In 2007, he was granted the State Award for three movies “Lua Trung Tuyen”, “Chi Dau” and “Lang Vu Dai Ngay Ay.”

Director Khoa’s wife is Bich Chau, an actress of the Vietnam Drama Theatre. Director Pham Nhue Giang grew up in such a family. She got married with director Nguyen Thanh Van, who was also born in a famous family.

Van’s father is director, People’s Artist Nguyen Hai Ninh, who is very famous for movies like “Vi Tuyen 17 Ngay Va Dem) (Parallel 17 Day and Night), “Em Be Ha Noi” (The Hanoian Little Girl), “Moi Tinh Dau” (First Love) and “Thanh Pho Luc Rang Dong” (The City at the Dawn).

In 2007, director Hai Ninh won the Ho Chi Minh Award for “The Hanoian Little Girl”, “Parallel 17 Day and Night”, “First Love”, “The City at the Dawn” and “Nguoi Chien Si Tre” (The Young Soldier).

The Ho Chi Minh Award and the State Award are the greatest awards for Vietnamese artists.

As the daughter and the son of such well-known fathers, Pham Nhue Giang and Thanh Van are also talented movie directors of Vietnam. Nhue Giang is widely known for “Thung Lung Hoang Vang” (The Deserted Valley) and “Tam Hon Me,” which won many domestic and foreign awards.

Nguyen Thanh Van’s movies like “Doi Cat” (Sandy Land), “Cay Bach Dan Vo Danh” (Unnamed Gum Tree), etc. won many prizes at local and international film festivals. In 2011, he was granted the honorable title “People’s Artist.”

Family of big names

If there is an award for the most famous family, it will be surely presented to the family of People’s Artist Tran Tien and Meritorious Artist Le Mai, with their three talented and pretty daughters - Meritorious Artist Le Van, People’s Artist Le Khanh and Meritorious Artist Le Vi.

The public has praised the talent and beauty of artists in the family of Tran Tien – Le Mai. Tran Tien said that he was lucky to have three daughters who are both beautiful and talented.
His first daughter, Meritorious Artist Le Van is famous for many roles in “Thuong Nho Dong Que” (Nostalgia for the Countryland), “Bao Gio Cho Den Thang Muoi” (When Will the Tenth Month Come) and “Chi Dau” (Ms. Dau). People’s Artist Le Khanh is still a queen of the northern stage. Meritorious Artist Le Vi now lives in France but she is still remembered as a talented dancer and actress.

Several years ago, Le Van published an autobiography “Le Van – Loves and Lives”, which stirred up the public for its unbelievable truth about Le Van and her famous family. But after all, that is still a family with great names. People’s Artist Tran Tien and Meritorious Artist Le Mai are still outstanding artists of stage, Meritorious Artist Le Van and Le Vi are still a dancer and an actress with memorable roles, People’s Artist Le Khanh is still the queen of Hanoi’s stage.

The family of directors
Senior actress Duc Hoan is famous for her role My in the movie “Vo Chong A Phu”. My is her first role and the most famous role.

After this movie, Duc Hoan played in many other movies like “Sao Thang Tam” (August Star), “Di Buoc Nua” (Marry Again) and “Binh Minh Tren Reo Cao” (Sunrise in the Highland) but My is her most memorable role.

Duc Hoan is also a great movie director, with widely-known films like “Ha Noi Mua Chim Lam To” (Hanoi in the Season of Bird Nest Making), “Am Anh” (Obsession) and “Tinh Yeu va Khoang Cach” (Love and Gap).
Actress Duc Hoan’s husband is director Tran Vu, who paved the way for Vietnam’s revolutionary cinema, with great works like “Den Hen Lai Len” (See You Again) and “Chuyen Xe Bao Tap” (Stormy Trip).

This couple’s movies are now classic works of Vietnam’s revolutionary cinema.

Their only daughter is Meritorious Artist Phuong Hoa. Hoa and her husband, Minh Tri, are the most famous cartoon directors of Vietnam.

Lan Anh