The story of historical films and war is once again discussed, in the context of the film market having fewer works on this topic.
A reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper had a conversation with actor Hua Vi Van - who plays military doctor Le in the film "Red Rain".
This is the first time actor Hua Vi Van has worked with the People's Army Cinema. In your first exposure to the script for the movie "Red Rain", how do you feel?
- When reading the script for "Red Rain", I had an indescribable feeling. I feel proud, looking forward to filming and being a part of the film. I was excited every day, until the first days of filming, I still wished that moment would last forever.
In my acting career, over 20 years in the profession, I have experienced many emotions, but "Red Rain" is a special project. The film is about history, the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, so I feel that everything about it is very special. I am honored to be in this film as an actor.
From "Dat rung phuong nam", actor Hua Vi Van has just returned to the screen. What does this project mean to you?
- For actors who play soldiers of squadron 1, they are young, very enthusiastic, very enthusiastic. For actors of my age, we have a different feeling. "Red rain" is like a cool, dry rain in my soul, after a long time I was skeptical about whether I should continue or not. The film gave me a full range of emotions to return after a period of absence from the screen.
At first, when the director and producer made an appointment to meet me, I didn't really pay attention to the project. At that time, my hair was very long, I weighed 72kg, I thought nothing could move me. I was still indifferent and didn't know much about "Red Rain".
After that, I took the script home and read it, but my tears were flowing, burst into tears because the script was so good. At that time, I felt like I was awakened and moved by the script of writer Chu Lai. From then on, I learned meticulously about history, learned in a profound way. I immediately contacted the film crew and immediately accepted the role. I also equip myself with knowledge, lose weight, change my image, and look forward to the filming day soon.
"Red Rain" is a large-invested project, the film set recreates the 81 days and nights battle to protect the ancient citadel of Quang Tri in 1972, Can actor Hua Vi Van share his memories when he arrived in Quang Tri and worked on set?
- I think when making a film, the crew will go through many difficulties, hardships, and wake up late early. But with "Red Rain", everyone has an indescribable heroic spirit. Every day I film, I feel excited. During the few months of filming, it rained every day, only a few days saw the sunlight. Despite the hardships, everyone tries, is united, and determined, because the land of Quang Tri gives us a sacred feeling.
In 81 days of filming, every day is a beautiful memory. Before filming, we were trained and practiced to ensure technical operations, preparing both in appearance and soul like soldiers.
The historical context is the battle that took place in the hot summer, but the filming time was in the winter, the daytime temperature was only about 14 degrees Celsius. At night, sometimes only 7 degrees Celsius, the wind blowing through also made the actors feel nervous. Therefore, the film crew had to burn firewood to warm up.
Sometimes, a scene has to be filmed 17 times, not for acting but for surrounding details such as dust, gravel, and problematic settings. Therefore, the big challenge for the actors is to maintain their emotions and not let themselves escape the script. Those memories are special, making me remember them forever.
Before "Red Rain", he had acted in historical films such as "Chief Tran Thu Do" and "Dat rung phuong Nam". The theme of history and war often makes films easily involved in conflicting opinions, costing a lot of money to make, but when released in theaters, there are many risks. What is your view on the difficulties of historical films?
- I think, if we don't make films about historical topics, then when will we do it? If only done for small screenings, it will waste resources. I always hope that a film about the history of the State can be commercially shown. After "Southern Forest Land" encountered unsatisfactory things, I realized that the answer would lie in every audience who had watched that film. Time will answer everything, and when looking back, each person will have a different perspective.
Big projects not only inspire actors but can also "attract" many things. A good war film with a large producer and director is something that not every film can do. A film that wants to enhance the audience's enjoyment will face many difficulties. I hope that after "Red Rain", there will be many newborn shoots for Vietnamese cinema on the topic of history.
Historical films are increasingly lacking in mainstream because of their difficulty, lack of scripts and difficulty in finding investment sources, while the cost is high. Is this a problem that is too difficult to solve for Vietnamese films, in your opinion?
- As an actor, I can share my perspective that when many Vietnamese historical films face risks and encounter many mixed opinions, it will less attract investors. It can be seen that films with the same theme are constantly released in theaters, because they only require a moderate amount of investment, and can still make a profit without many risks. That is a safe calculation for both investors and manufacturers. We cannot force the audience to understand that with the mindset of a filmmaker because the audience watches the film for entertainment.
Therefore, films with large investments such as "Dat rung phuong Nam" or "Mua dong dong dong" are quite rare. With "Red Rain", I heard Colonel Kieu Thanh Thuy - Deputy Director of the People's Army Cinema - say that all departments in the film crew selected the best people. The film is not only a work with a big message but also contains worthy artistic values.
Previously, Hua Vi Van was known as an actor who appeared in many hundred-billion-dong projects such as "Blood Moon Party", "Em la ba trai anh"... However, in recent years, he has acted in films less. Is it because he is busy with business that he is less active in the arts?
- Actually, I switched to business to "know time", so that I am not too hasty in my artistic career. I will also not make a hasty choice, not let myself depend on my livelihood to chew on film acting. Thanks to that, I can do meaningful things, not let emotions slip away, then heal myself. I do business to experience, and wait for a project that I feel excited about.
Having been associated with the image of a playboy and a young master in film works, do you think that appearance is a great strength that helps an actor become successful and famous?
- I don't think appearance is a strength. It was even a barrier to me. When I first started my career, some people said I was a model, didn't know how to act, I was just a "mobile flower". Later, I struggled to act in TV series and movies, often associated with the image of a "handsome guy". But in the past 10 years, I have not played the role of "beautiful sister" anymore. Sometimes, the disguise team has to make me worse. I don't want to be judged by my appearance, I want to transform and from there try to change. I chose the script without paying attention to the main character, as long as I did not "play a surplus", I could demonstrate my acting ability.
Or like the movie "Red Rain", I want to accept the role because I hope to show the audience that I can play the role of a military doctor, can immerse myself in the setting of fierce smoke and bullets. If the audience sees me on the cover of magazines and in elegant suits, they won't know how much I can change.
At the age of U50, Hua Vi Van is still single, despite having a stable reputation and finances. Have you seen enough of what you have?
- For me, it's hard to say whether I feel "enough" or not. I have gone through many events, but I cannot share with anyone. My family situation is also more special. Now, I just want to do something to have a full life.
