As the person who brought the film " Cha con con con" to a series of International Film Festivals, Luong Dinh Dung always showed his perseverance in building his own filmmaking style, imbued with Vietnamese identity.
Director Luong Dinh Dung is one of the prominent faces of Vietnamese cinema with a unique film-making mindset in the comments of international filmmakers.
In the near future, he will return with two ambitious projects: "Body of the Sea: Black Science returns" and the historical film "Hero". Not only the return of a brave filmmaker, this is also a journey to promote the image of Vietnam to global audiences through the language of cinema.
Lao Dong had a conversation with Luong Dinh Dung when this director was working hard on two new film projects.
In the past few years, the audience felt that he had gone through a long period of silence, not appearing in the media or launching a new project. What happened during that period?
At my age, all the noise seems to have been put aside. Not because I want to hide anything, but simply because I find it natural to live in silence. At times, many people who meet me find me confused because no matter how tired I am, my physical condition is still the same. Some brothers even asked: "You are depressed, can't do anything else?".
For me, sometimes laughter is sad, but crying is when I'm happy. I don't want to bring my fatigue to others. But honestly, in the most difficult times, I lost my father and younger brother. That pain took me to the bottom. There were times when I felt like I wanted to give up everything, like I was in a long dark. At that time, I just kept quiet.
Having gone through such loss and pain, what helped him get up and move on?
I have always been concerned and eager to make films about Vietnamese people and Vietnamese culture and identity. World cinema used to have footage filmed on set in Vietnam, bringing Vietnamese beautiful scenes to the international screen, but for me it was not enough, I wanted to bring more special images and life that had never been brought to the world screen.
For me, Vietnam is like a beautiful and beautiful poem. Therefore, as a Vietnamese child, the desire to express the unique features and characteristics of Vietnam in cinema is also my motivation. Because cinema is also a heritage and I want to bring cinema to children.
From a personal perspective, many people trust and give their hopes to me and the people I need to apologize to with specific jobs. For me, expressing an apology is quite easy, but the specific compensation is really correct. That is what makes me always and every day move forward.
The film project "Anh Hung" is predicted to be very big, marking his return. Is the film a work depicting the historical love for national heroes, or what message do you want to convey?
Since I was a child, I have loved reading or reading stories about Vietnamese heroes. Those stories always inspire me to be proud. Every time I finish reading, I run a circuit on the road from the riverbank to my home, in my heart I offer my admiration. That feeling runs along my body, it is so beautiful and indescribable.
When I invited a Hollywood director who was very successful with war films and epics to be a consultant for Anh Hung, he asked me: In addition to national spirit, what makes you want to make this film?. I replied: "I always worry about Nguyen Trai's sad story. First, I want to free my own sadness from that story and I believe that millions of Vietnamese people are the same.
He accepted my answer. Maybe he's starting to sympathize.
He is often mentioned as a calm but fierce director. Does it seem like this comeback is in the same style?
The filmmaking profession is not aged, only different in the way people choose to live: noisy or quiet. I don't think any way is right or wrong. I really admire Ridley Scott - director of Gladiator, Napoleon, The Fairy Sister Broken Wings... He makes films fiercely but also very quietly.
I didn't know if I was noisy or quiet, I just knew that I was currently focusing on my film. This new project, Doi Hanh Xac: Ta Thuyet Den Tro Lam, will probably also be a change in my career.
I don't just want to make a simple horror film, but a work that touches the emotions and thoughts of the audience about the beliefs, pain and tragedy of humanity.
I also hope that through the film, images of Hang Ban Bu in Thanh Hoa, Tam Diep pineapple fields in Ninh Binh, or Moc Chau old forest will appear very beautifully.
