What do you want to share most when participating in the movie "Green Highlands"?
- First of all, I would like to sincerely thank the audience for their love for the character Vien. After that mark, I am very honored to continue to be trusted by the producer, given the opportunity to wear the uniform of a People's Police soldier in the new film.
Actually, this is not the first time I have transformed into a police officer; before that, I had the opportunity to participate in quite a few projects about the armed forces. Especially with the movie "Green Highlands", I worked with director Mai Hien - a close colleague in the profession with whom I had collaborated in 3-4 films. When he opened his mouth: "This time continue fighting with me, okay?", I immediately nodded.
Participating in works about the armed forces always brings me great pride and honor. I hope the film will help the audience understand more deeply about the hidden hardships and humanistic messages that the security forces want to convey.
Having played the role of a police officer many times, what is the difference between the image of a People's Police soldier this time compared to your previous roles?
- Up to now, TV series often focus on exploiting criminal forces, drug crime prevention police or out-of-line detectives. Therefore, the aspect of the police officer undertaking grassroots and local order this time is very breakthrough.
The responsibility of the security force at the grassroots level is to protect national security, protect the Party and State's guidelines and policies. The characteristic of this role requires a more "close to the people, close to the people" nature. The character must stick to the area, sympathize with the thoughts and aspirations of the people to implement "4 together": Together eating, together living, together working and sharing all joys and sorrows with the people.
Unlike previous edgy criminal roles, this time the police officer must harmonize softness and firmness. Character design needs harmony, closeness, not being too aggressive or tense. It is this understanding and soft approach that helps the soldier come up with reasonable solutions.
What experiences did the film filming in the Central Highlands bring to you?
- Although I had visited the Central Highlands before, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to film in Gia Lai. The trip brought me a precious life experience when I was immersed in the unique cultural space and rich spiritual life of the people here. There was only one "side effect" that after the filming, my skin became visibly dull. I originally did not have the habit of using sunscreen or skin protection measures on the film set, just let it be natural like that to most realistically depict the image of a soldier enduring hardship.
Filming in remote villages, the film crew must have encountered many obstacles in living and moving conditions?
- When filming, anywhere there are specific difficulties that require the entire crew to unite to overcome. In Gia Lai, the biggest challenge lies in geographical distance. Many days the crew stays in Chu Prong district, but the filming location is 40-50km away. When going deep into the villages, many areas completely lose phone signal, and roads are difficult to travel.
However, in return for those hardships, we received extremely warm and supportive welcome from the villagers. Moreover, the majestic natural scenery here is a priceless spiritual medicine, helping artists reduce fatigue to focus on completing their roles in the best way.
Some actors say that income from acting is sometimes not enough to cover the costumes of the character. What about you?
- I think this pressure depends on the characteristics of each type of role. With characters that do not require elaborate costumes, actors will somewhat reduce the economic burden. Conversely, for roles that require high image requirements, we must proactively balance between personal budget and support from stylists, sponsors or film crews.
However, for me, costumes are just external supporting elements. The biggest core that makes a role successful and touches the hearts of the audience must still be the depth of the story and the acting ability of the artist.
Many people are curious whether the salary from acting is enough for him to maintain a stable life, or whether the artist is forced to seek more opportunities from advertising and external events?
- Up to now, I am completely satisfied with my life. I don't have the habit of looking at others to compare, I just compare myself today to yesterday to see that I have made progress. For me, that is already a great happiness.
The concept of "sufficient" is inherently very invaluable, knowing what is just right. I myself just need to be in the profession, to contribute, to temporarily put aside the pressures of everyday life to live fully with the life of the character on screen. That is the greatest reward that the acting profession has bestowed on me.
Looking back at the long journey attached to art, what is the greatest value that this job brings to you?
- In terms of life, acting helps my family, parents and loved ones feel proud and secure about me. In terms of expertise, I am happy that my ability is increasingly recognized by producers, directors and colleagues.
None of us can be perfect right from the starting line. I myself in the early days of entering cinema also could not avoid bewilderment and clumsiness. In art, there is no absolute scale. After each project, if I continue to receive cooperation invitations from teams, I understand that my efforts and maturity have been recognized. That is the strongest motivation for me to firmly step on the artistic journey ahead.
