According to Box Office Vietnam, last weekend the film earned more than 40 billion VND, with about 430,000 tickets for 11,500 screenings. As of November 26, the debut work of director Duong Minh Chien - a key member of the ActionC group - has surpassed the 155 billion VND mark, showing a rare appeal for a purely cultural Vietnamese film.
The point that has made the film mentioned heavily throughout the past time is the way the crew placed marine cultural materials as the center of the story. Set in An Hai fishing village, where residents rely on the sea and believe in Ngu Ong's protection, the film opens with the theft of the treasure of the dragon fruit - precious wax released by buried fish, which has been associated with many Asian legends. The mystery of the dragon in winter helps the story have folk colors but is still close and easy to feel.
The film follows the trio of Tam - Hoang - Tuan and the charming appearance of Ut Linh (Nguyen Thao), opening up the world of customs, beliefs and livelihoods of sea residents. The communal house, Ngu Ong's mausoleum, Nghinh Ong festival, fish market, boat... appear to be honest, rustic and vibrant. Here, culture is not a decorative setting but the "breath" of each frame. After the film was released, Ong Nam Hai Mausoleum (Binh Thuan) - the main filming location - suddenly became a new check-in spot, attracting a large number of audiences.
Another explosive point was music. Ly Keo Chai - a familiar folk song - was arranged by musician Cao Ba Hung and became a "November box office phenomenon". The bustling 3/5 performance, the image of sea waves and the pride of the workers when placed in the action segments created a strong effect, making the audience often goosebumps. Many theaters recorded the audience unconsciously humming this melody when stepping out of the screening.
Cao Ba Hung shared that he felt proud when he heard his arrangement resound in the film: "Seeing a folk melody blend into the story of cinema meticulously, I felt that tradition and modernity were truly meeting each other". He also appreciated the director's use of music at the right time to not only make a background but also become an important emotional flow of the film.
Not only helping the box office become more vibrant, the film also brings many young faces of ActionC such as Tang Quoc Hy, Uy Tran, Dai Bao Bao, Tram Minh Hoang... closer to the public. During cinetour in Binh Duong and the West last weekend, the cinemas were packed with audiences, making many actors unable to hide their emotions when filming for the first time.
Director Duong Minh Chien said that using the real name of the character is to help the audience remember it easily, while creating intimacy. According to him, the success of the film proves that Vietnamese audiences are always willing to support pure Vietnamese stories told with sincerity and respect for culture.
