VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu is working on his latest film on love, Mắt Biếc (Blue Eyes), together with his staff in HCM City.

A scene in Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (Yellow Flowers on Green Grass), a film by Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu. The film is based on a novel by famous author Nguyen Nhat Anh. It won the Golden Lotus Award for best feature film and best director at the biennial 19th Viet Nam Film Festival presented by the Department of Cinematography in 2015. Photo courtesy of the producer

The casting began last week. Young men and women aged between 16 and 22 years old are encouraged to attend.

Mắt Biếc tells the love story of Ngan, a rural boy from Quang Nam Province, and his childhood friend, Ha Lan, during their school years.    

When Lan turns to love a rich man but is betrayed, Ngan still stands beside Lan.

The film is based on a novel of the same name written by bestselling children’s author Nguyen Nhat Anh.

The book Mắt Biếc was published in 1990 and became a bestseller. It has been reprinted several times by the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House.

Director Vu is interested in filming Anh’s works.

His first work based on Anh’s book was Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (Yellow Flowers on Green Grass), winner of the Golden Lotus Award for Best Feature Film and Best Director at the biennial 19th Việt Nam Film Festival in 2015.

The prizes were presented by the cultural ministry’s Department of Cinematography.

The film also won the Best Film Award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Fujian Province, China.

It was distributed abroad by Fortissimo Films Hong Kong.

In Vietnam, the film earned around VND80 billion (US$3.59 million) in ticket sales.

Vu is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in the US. His first film in Vietnam, Chuyện Tình Xa Xứ (Passport to Love), was distributed in Vietnam and the US in 2008.

The romantic comedy was named Favourite Film at the 2008 Golden Kite Award given by the Việt Nam Cinematography Association.

In 2012, his third film, Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng (Blood Letter), a kung fu production, won the Jury Prize at the International Film Festival in Hanoi.

One year later, his Bí Mật Thảm Đỏ (Scandal), a work about the dark side of show business, received the Golden Kite Prize for Best Director.

Both films were box office records. 

In 2014, his horror film Quả Tim Máu (Vengeful Heart) starring famous comedian Thai Hoa earned more than VND24 billion (US$1.1 million) in just three days after its release.     

His latest film, Người Bất Tử (The Immortal), was released last week.

The thriller includes scenes featuring beautiful landscapes in Hanoi, and Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Quang Binh, Tien Giang and Dong Nai provinces. 

It stars Quach Ngoc Ngoan of HCM City and Bui Bai Binh of Hanoi.

The film is expected to break box-office records.  

“I learned a lot about Việt Nam’s history, traditional culture and lifestyle,” said Vu, adding that he expects to have a future in Vietnam.

His film Mắt Biếc is produced by Galaxy Studio, the country’s leading private film company.

It will be completed late next year.

Source: VNS