Recently, Nguyen Cong Thuc Anh - the daughter of artist Cong Ly - publicly released the graduation documentary "Co mot sao" with the main character being People's Artist Cong Ly. Thuc Anh majored in Film Directing at Hanoi University of Theatre and Cinema, and worked as a production assistant and studio secretary at VFC. He and his father joined the crew of the film "Hua Huong Duong Nang".
Thuc Anh is the daughter of People's Artist Cong Ly with his first wife - editor Thuc Khue.
In the film, Thuc Anh shares her perspective on an artist father throughout a long journey from the time of building a career to having a health incident. After all, Thuc Anh said she was greatly inspired by her father's life journey.
- What made you decide to make a documentary about your father - People's Artist Cong Ly?
- This is my graduation exam from Hanoi University of Theatre and Cinema. In fact, the idea of making a documentary about my father was cherished since my second year, but at that time I felt I was too immature. I want to wait until I am more mature enough to be able to do it most completely and that is the time to graduate.
- What is the idea of the film for you, from a moment, a memory or a special period of your father?
- The idea of the film comes from the desire to tell a very personal perspective of the child for the famous father. I also want to speak up about love and forgiveness, which my mother taught me a lot since I was little.
It was my mother who made my relationship with him better. And thanks to all that, I decided to start making this film.
- What angle do you want the audience to see the image of People's Artist Cong Ly through the film?
- I want the audience to see a very different People's Artist Cong Ly, a man with many injuries and loneliness, not just a flashy image on stage or the image of an "insulting" artist as people often prejudice.
For me, this film is like a way to "mental" my father, so that everyone can better understand the real person behind the scenes.
- In the film, there are details about People's Artist Cong Ly not being able to remember his daughter's name, what do you say about this detail?
- Because in the early stages after his father had a stroke, his memory was greatly reduced. My father once shared with me that at that time he still recognized me, but could not call me by my name because my brain was still damaged and my functions could not fully recover.
That made me both love my father and cherish the time we have together.
- For you, what is the most difficult part of making a film about someone you are too familiar with?
- The most difficult part for me was probably the script and filming. I and screenwriter Hai Mi always have to wonder how to tell this story honestly without hurting our father, not letting the audience misunderstand us, how not to "disgrace" him.
Regarding filming, Viet Vu and I - who film and film at the same time - spent a lot of time trying to find a way to tell a story that is not rambling but still conveys enough of the messages I want to convey.
After those concerns, I received valuable encouragement and advice from Mr. - People's Artist Nguyen Thuoc. The teacher showed me many new perspectives so that I could edit and complete the film in the most suitable way.
I feel extremely lucky to have a talented, dedicated and understanding crew. Thanks to them, I was able to complete the film as well as possible.
- Did you discover anything new about your father when doing this project - something you had never realized before?
- This project helps me understand why my father is so praised for his acting. Before, every time I watched my father's film, I simply saw him as... his father playing a role, and could not separate myself to see him as an independent character. Therefore, I cannot be objective when evaluating my father's acting.
But when I started making films as a director, I realized how good my father was. There was a delicate act of the father-in-law scene that surprised me. Although he was sick at that time, he still performed very well, every emotion I wanted him to express was clear and changed in just a few seconds. That moment made me truly admire, and was also one of the things that impressed me during the making of this film.
- Thank you for sharing!
