Nguyen Vinh Son, the first Asian to be named best director at the Madrid Film Festival in Spain last June talks about his passion for movie-making and future projects.

Trang Noi Day Gieng competed in festivals in Busan, Dubai, Rotterdam, Sydney, Munich, Rabat and Madrid, where it was well received by audiences. But it did not do well at home. Were you disappointed?

I was not sure the film would have a large audience at home since today’s movie buffs, especially young ones, prefer something different, like pure entertainment. Of course, it’s good to make movies that can appeal to a majority of people. Nevertheless, I chose to go my own way and was ready to make sacrifices. So, I’m not really disappointed.

I think it’s risky to aim for both commercial and artistic values in a movie. If you do, you will probably fail on both fronts. It’s quite out of the question in the country now given the big gap between commercial and critically acclaimed movies as a result of the divides in living and educational standards. Even winners of Academy (US) and Palme d’Or (Cannes) awards fail to make it big locally.

So I think every director should focus on one genre or another depending on their strength. Of course, some can do well at both, but they are quite rare.

You’re noted for being a perfectionist. Is it the reason you’ve turned out just a handful of films in almost 30 years? Do you think you’ve wasted time?

Vietnamese directors easily compromise with producers who try to impose commercial elements on the movie. I’m not ready to compromise, because compromises will result in obvious artistic handicaps which you will regret all your life.

I was not in the best position to direct movies in the past, so it does not mean I let time go by. While not directing, I wrote screenplays that I saved for future projects. When conditions are ripe, I will embark on them.

Also, in the past State and private projects, respectively, focused on political issues and commerce, which was not suitable for me. However, today there are many producers and sponsors ready to let me make films my own way. So I’m speeding up now. I have set myself an objective of one project a year.

What is your next project?

I’ve just finished adapting the novel Vua Nham Mat Vua Mo Cua So (Opening the windows while eyes are shut) by young writer Nguyen Ngoc Thuan. I’m in the process of casting and setting and will start shooting next year.

The movie revolves around children aged eight or nine exploring humans and life around them with metaphoric messages. It’s kind of Le petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It will be a very challenging project.

So far, you’ve made only one TV serial, Dat Phuong Nam [Land of the South], which was popular a decade ago. When will you make a second?

I’m nursing a project set in my homeland Hue city. In my opinion, Hue is quite unique in terms of people, culture, customs, and practices, affording directors a large space to explore. I think the project will follow Vua Nham Mat Vua Mo Cua So when the script is completed.

After the Hue serial, I will embark on another one about Ha Noi. In the meantime, I’m cherishing a historic project about King Ham Nghi, who called on the people to support his resistance against the French colonialists.

What is your secret in making these kinds of “regional” projects’?

It comes from my passion for the regions. Although I’m a native of Hue, I got married to a Mekong Delta girl and lived there for years before I shot Dat Phuong Nam. So my point is a director should immerse himself in local culture and life to get a clear understanding of a place.

As a director who has been invited to many international festivals, how do you compare the local industry with those elsewhere?

We’re almost unknown on the world cinema map. In the region, we still lag behind neighbours like Thailand and Singapore. None of our directors or actors have reached international stature. None of our movies have been distributed worldwide.

It will be long before we can catch up with the world, but the process can be speeded up provided we have the talent and a good framework.

I think grandiose features are out of our reach. We should focus on less costly projects with just a handful of characters and simple techniques but conveying profound messages. I think it the best way to make an impression on the world arena.

VietNamNet/VNS