What is special about this return to Vietnam compared to previous times?
- This time, I find it much more special. Because this is the first time I have participated in a movie in theaters in Vietnam in the true sense. Before returning home, the feeling was completely different, but this time it is a touch again with domestic cinema in a very clear position, with professionalism and real professional pressure. It makes me both excited and more cautious.
After more than two decades, why did you really accept to participate in a Vietnamese film project at this time?
- Because I am very picky about movies. To be honest, I don't just accept invitations. For me, movies must be good, roles must be suitable, and the working environment must meet professional requirements. I am used to working in a very serious professional environment, so if I enter a working group or a movie and feel that I have not achieved professional standards, it will be very difficult for me. Therefore, I just wait, wait very long.
And when I met this project, firstly, I liked the script, secondly, I worked with people I trusted, including Charlie Nguyen, and more importantly, I found the whole crew good and friendly. Therefore, I know this is the most suitable opportunity for me to return, after many years of waiting.
Does that mean you have been waiting for the time to return to the movie project "Blood Moon Party 8" for a long time?
- It's been a long time! I think it's been more than 10 years. Around 2012, 2013, many companies invited me to act in movies and sent scripts over. But frankly, there are scripts that I read about 10 pages, more than 10 pages and I can't read them anymore. I also immediately replied that it's not a movie script, but more like a stage script or a type of inside-out story.
Even at times, in parallel with this project, there were a few other films inviting me, the idea sounds good, the script also has good points, but my role is not reasonable, the way the character appears and solves problems in the film is not convincing. I discussed with the director and producer, but after a while the two sides could not agree, so I refused. I accepted the film first because of the script. The script must be good, logical, but I accidentally knew when I read the script, knowing which is okay, which is not okay, so I couldn't accept it at all.
When returning in the context of a very competitive Vietnamese film market, do you put pressure to win or make a big impression?
- I am not used to thinking in the style of having to "compete" with someone or win a season. My first thought when receiving this project was that I had to do it really well first. If I want to compete, want the audience to come to me, then first of all the film must be good, the role must be good. If I do well, then the rest is left to the market and the audience to decide. Our ancestors had a saying "dedicate human resources, know destiny", meaning we do our best, and the results are the next step. Therefore, this time I come back with the mindset of doing my job properly, not thinking too much about the race outside the cinema.
Many overseas artists such as Viet Huong, Hong Dao have returned to Vietnam and have successful projects. Does that make you more excited about operating domestically?
- Saying I'm not excited is not right. I'm very happy to see my colleagues succeed. But that excitement does not mean I have to rush, have to rush to choose a project just to appear.
I think for someone who has lived in the profession for nearly 50 years, loved by the audience like me, I don't need it urgently. The audience loves me, they put their trust in my name. So every time I appear, I not only choose good movies for myself but also must choose good movies for the audience. If I keep accepting bad projects out of impatience, the audience will follow me a few times and then they will be disappointed. That is the dangerous thing. So the more I appreciate the audience's feelings, the more careful I must be with my choices.
How do you view overseas artists coming to Vietnam to work with the mindset?
- I think each person has a different ability, and more importantly, the timing. Favorable timing, favorable location, harmonious people. Some people come to Vietnam at the right time and rise very quickly. Some people are also talented, also talented, also have good scripts, but falling into a stage where the market is not ready is very difficult.
I take an example of Charlie Nguyen coming to Vietnam quite early, at that time the domestic cinema system was still small, only a few dozen cinemas, but he dared to spend a very large amount of money to make a film. Talent is there, ideas are there, scripts are there, but if the time is not right, it is still very difficult. Therefore, success or failure is not only due to capacity but also to when you enter the market.
In the movie "Blood Moon Party 8", you have a quite strong father-son love line. In real life, as a father with children, how do you feel about this story?
- I have two sons, so when entering a father-daughter line, that is also a challenge for me. From before until now, I have experienced the emotions of a father with his son more, but with his daughter it is very different, it must be softer, more subtle. Fortunately, my daughter's co-star did very well, creating very strong trust. Thanks to that, father-daughter interaction in the film has achieved persuasiveness so that the audience believes that this character is willing to do everything for his daughter. For me, the most important thing is that the audience believes in that relationship.
As for your children in real life, how do you orient them in their careers? Do you want your children to follow in your footsteps?
- I don't force my children to follow my profession. My children once asked me: "Dad, what profession will you learn later to stabilize your life?". I said that if you want a stable profession, you can think of jobs related to health care, such as nurses, doctors, medical assistants..., because people always need health. But then I also said something more important: Choose the profession you like.
Like me now, there are jobs that are almost death-like, but because I like them, I don't find them hard. When I have chosen the job I love, then waking up at 5 am - 6 am is no longer about working hard, but about doing the job I want to do, living with the job I like. That's why I let my children decide for themselves. From childhood to adulthood, they want to learn what, do what, as long as they live happily with their choices.
Working with a young team in Vietnam, do you take a lot of time to catch up?
- Saying it's not difficult is not right, but that difficulty is interesting. Actors when they are on the same "level" are very easy to touch each other, like there is a kind of professional empathy. In the early days of returning to the country, I did not keep up with the working style of young people now. But what I really like is punctuality.
In the past, I used to jokingly say "threaded hour", but now you guys are very punctual, very professional. Many times I am late not because I do not respect the time, because in the US I also live very punctually, but because of unexpected events such as traffic jams in Ho Chi Minh City that are too unpredictable, or on days when my eyes are too allergic, I have to text to ask to change the schedule to see a doctor.
But in general, it only takes a few days for everyone to catch up with each other. And the second thing that impressed me is that all filmmaking departments in Vietnam are now making outstanding progress. Not only actors, but techniques, organization, all links have progressed a lot. I believe that in just a few years, Vietnamese cinema can stand on par with many countries in the region.
To avoid falling behind the current pace, what do you do to keep yourself always new in the eyes of the audience?
- I always study. In the US, I also don't let myself stand still. I watch American movies, follow Vietnamese cinema, watch world cinema, and then wonder why this movie is good, why that script is good, how the casting is done, how the actors are chosen, why that scene is effective, why the sound, lighting, and film editing are so emotional?
I learned little by little every day. Thanks to that, when I returned to Vietnam, although I saw that domestic cinema progressed a lot, I still had professional experience to keep up with my brothers.
It seems that his life now is more peaceful. How does Van Son's normal day go?
- I like proactiveness. One thing I really like is that when I wake up in the morning, I don't need to set an alarm clock. On days when I'm tired, I can sleep a little more, in the evening I want to stay up late to watch movies, write scripts until 2-3 am or even until morning.
I no longer let myself be framed by a rigid time frame, unless there is mandatory work. However, in daily life, I still have indispensable things, such as exercising, controlling eating. In the old days, when I was at my prime, I weighed about 85kg. Now I keep it in the range of 72 - 75kg. My muscles are no longer the same as before, but I try to tighten them up, not to gain weight, because if my body is too heavy, my bones will not be able to withstand it. My goal is to keep my body in the best possible condition so I can continue to work.
After so many years, what is your mindset with cinema now? Can you say that cinema is an unfulfilled dream?
- Cinema has been my dream since I was young. When I was young, I was greatly influenced by relatives who worked in the arts, especially Mr. Nguyen Chanh Tin. At that time, he was a great talent, very big, so to me he was like an idol. From the age of 15 - 16, I looked at him and dreamed that one day I would also be like him. But life pushed me.
At that stage, following cinema was very difficult to live, income was not enough, making films was mostly because of the passion for the profession rather than to make a living. Meanwhile, comedy was a path that could take more shows and support me. So I turned to that path. At that time, some people in the theater industry even advised me to pursue drama because my appearance was suitable for beautiful actors and generals. But I had to choose a path that could support me first. However, my film dream has never ended.
And to be honest, in the past I also appeared in a few small roles when acquaintances called me, like Mr. Nguyen Chanh Tin or Mr. Nguyen Duong, if there was a suitable role, they called me in. If you watch old movies again, you will see me appear fleetingly in a few places. So this return for me is like touching a childhood dream again.
Looking back at everything, what do you still expect from the road ahead?
- I still hope that if I have the opportunity, I will be able to do more good roles. But the principle remains: The script is worth doing, the role must be suitable, and I must do it thoroughly. At this age, I no longer do it because I'm in a hurry or because I have to prove anything. I do it because I still love the profession, still dream of cinema, and still want each appearance to be worthy of the audience's affection. I think that's beautiful enough for someone who has gone through many stages of the profession.
