Former big shot state-film director Nguyen Khai Hung told Thanh Nien he started up his own production house to fulfill his passion for making television movies.

His television credits include the audience-grabbing TV show Van nghe Chu Nhat (Sunday entertainment) and the equally popular comedy show Gap nhau cuoi tuan (Weekend laughs). When he was interviewed by Thanh Nien, Hung was obviously thrilled about his new role of entrepreneur.

You seem to always have your hands full even though you’re supposedly retired.

People at my age enjoy life in different ways. Some like playing chess, others prefer fishing or drinking, but for me it’s making films. We can’t stop doing what we love, can we? Retirement doesn’t mean you have to shelve your interests and rest. I’m a fun-loving type.

Is that why you set up the Khai Hung Company?

Well, I just took a leaf out of my colleagues’ book. There are thousands of small studios like mine in Vietnam, quite an impressive number, but they could go broke at any time. It’s not easy to switch from a government company to the private sector. I’m learning how to handle all the facets of business, even the little things like leasing premises, applying for permits and tax codes. It keeps me busy but it’s fun! By the way, I’m not an ambitious film producer. I just plan on releasing a few dozen television episodes each year, and of course I will revive my popular comedy show Gap nhau cuoi tuan.

Lately there have been some lousy films from the private studios. In your opinion, what makes a good television film?

When I was at VFC, quality was my number one concern. It’s much easier to judge a film than to make it and realize how hard it can be. You must choose the right script, one that inspires and stays on track. Moreover, the script has to be suitable for the public and, most importantly, it has to please the sponsors because they are the ones who cover the production costs. I have to consider all this before choosing. Normally, a script does not meet all the three criteria. Sometimes I have to stay on the safe side to keep my company in the black, so I have to put my aesthetics aside.

You have spent much time producing and marketing Vietnamese television films. How do you see their future?

We are in the process of integrating and developing. Soon television stations will stop making films and commission all of them from private production houses instead. This will give the television stations more choice, and increase the competition among the studios. Competition is good as it improves the quality of the films. My only worry is that we don’t have enough qualified people in the industry.

You teach at the Hanoi University of Stage and Cinematography. What can you say about our future directors and actors?

I’ve been teaching at the university for fifteen years. I always share my directing experience with my students. Young people these days are very fast learners and are not afraid to express themselves. They watch more films than I did but they don’t read enough. I think they are indifferent to what happens around them. You can’t make good films when you don’t understand love and hate. The university has good facilities but not enough for the students to practice. It seems to me that only students from rich families can afford to study there since it costs millions and millions of dong to do a film project.

In your twenty years at VFC, you also trained a professional film crew. Is there anything else that you still want to do?

I have so many regrets because I feel sorry for not having been able to draw up a long-term strategy for producing more television films. The youth of today are luckier than my generation, but that’s not enough. I wish I were still in my 40s to help them.

You are also vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Cinematography. Do you ever feel regret for spending so much time on television films when you could have been even more successful making feature films for the cinema?

I studied cinematography at school, so basically I can say cinema is my “mother” and television is my “adoptive mother.” It is my responsibility to serve my mothers, who gave me life and reared me. I have been connecting cinema and television for fifteen years at the Vietnam Association of Cinematography but I still think there should be an official committee to bridge the gap between television and cinema. That would be a good way of safeguarding the two in the current economic malaise.

I love making feature films but I know my limitations, how much work I can handle at my age. I don’t want to break my neck by taking on too much at once.

Your son Khai Anh is a director at VFC. Was that your idea or his? Does he have potential?

I educate my children in two ways, as a supportive father or a directive dad. If they want to do something on their own, I let them as then I’m a supporter. But if they want me to shell out money for something, then they must do what I say, follow my directions.

My colleagues and I used to discuss films at home. Khai Anh was little at the time but he seemed to be really interested in our conversations. When Anh finished high school, he told me he wanted to be a director, and I just said, “It’s up to you.” He passed the entrance exam to the university and was able to support himself while still a freshman. He has grown up by himself.

Many people have criticized you for being too straightforward. Has your attitude changed since you retired?

After I retired, I noticed that I became more popular. Can I call that happiness?

Reported by Nguyen Le Chi