Mentioning Meritorious Artist Tu Oanh, audiences are already familiar with the image of a sharp, somewhat "terrible" woman in TV series. What is the difference between the role of Aunt Tinh in "Going Against the Road, Going Against the Sun" this time?
- With this project, I play Aunt Tinh - the mother of the main character played by Ngoc Huyen. Aunt Tinh sells water in the village, so she naturally becomes the "information center" of the village (laughs). Because she is close relative, Aunt Tinh is always present in all the joys and sorrows, conflicts of her niece's family. Sometimes Aunt Tinh intervenes a bit too much, but it all stems from respecting her brother-in-law and the love of the nieces. Compared to previous roles of VFC, Aunt Tinh is more "pure", gentler, but still has the personality of a Vietnamese rural woman.
It is known that the film exploits the theme of traditional incense making villages. What emotions did this setting leave you?
- The filming location is craft villages around Hanoi, with a peaceful beauty, "color of time", with simple people quietly preserving traditional crafts. The film's content revolves around village and neighborhood affection, gentle conflicts, creating a comfortable feeling, and actors are also comfortable performing. However, filming in rural areas is difficult due to noises such as dog sounds or construction works.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, are you worried that a gentle movie like "Going Against the Road, Going Against the Sun" will be difficult to keep audiences?
- This is a big concern of the crew: Is fast pace of life enough patience for the audience with a light film? Compared to films with many climaxes, the topic of traditional craft villages is more difficult to exploit. Therefore, the director and crew have put a lot of effort into creating emotions from the setting. Hopefully, the film will be like a "elegant dish", bringing a healing journey amidst the busyness of life.
In this film, you continue to co-star with Meritorious Artist Thanh Binh. Is this harmony the result of many years of attachment at the Youth Theater?
- That's right. Thanh Binh and I are close colleagues under the common roof of the Youth Theater. It is the foundation of understanding each other from the stage that has helped us when entering the TV series setting feel like we are living in it. Every look, gesture we receive each other in the most natural way.
What is your opinion on your acting forte at this stage?
- Being a professional actress, it's not about strengths, but about showing a variety of personalities. Since I returned to the screen in 2020, my image has often been associated with roles that are high in personality or appearance. The role of Mrs. Tinh this time is not exactly gentle but gentler.
For me, gentle roles are difficult, because I have to restrain myself so that the audience can feel the character's character. When the character really "lives" on screen, that is success. In the profession, I always want each role to be different from the previous one.
Looking back at the 30-year journey, what is the meaning of appearing on the red carpet of the Venice Film Festival for an actress who specializes in supporting roles like you?
- That is really a big gift for my career. But above all, I want to spread my love for the profession to young actors and even those who have been specializing in supporting roles for a long time. We just continue to dedicate ourselves, wholeheartedly to each role, even if it is very small, maybe at some point the opportunity will come again. This year, I also participated in 2 film projects and really hope that the audience will encourage those efforts.
In addition to work, the audience was quite surprised by your rural pleasure. Can you share more about this "quiet period"?
- I love plants and grasses, so I rent a piece of land to plant whenever I am free. Learning from farmers, growing vegetables seasonally, killing worms... even if there are times of mistakes, it is very fun.
At this age, I don't want to let myself be too free. Manual labor helps to relax my mind, take care of my family completely without creating pressure on myself or my husband and children.
Thank you for the conversation!
