Thanh Tâm

Vietnamese speelfilms in Nederlandse bioscopen

Na de periode van 1975 tot eind ’80 waarin vrijwel alleen propaganda-films, oorlogsdocumentaires en films over de revolutie werden gedraaid, hebben de Vietnamese filmmakers de koers gezet in sociale thema’s. Ze besteden steeds meer aandacht aan de psychologische ontwikkeling binnen dit onderwerp. De Vietnamese films in de laatste twee decennia zijn veranderd in emotionele en artistieke expressie. De huidige Vietnamese film-industrie is steeds opener geworden. Plus het feit dat de Vietnamezen van de tweede generatie in Frankrijk en in de VS opleidingen in de filmwereld gehad hebben en succesvolle films uitgebracht, zoals ‘Mùi Đu Đủ Xanh’ (De geur van de groene papaya), Cyclo, Ba Mùa (Three Seasons), die diverse onderscheidingen gekregen hebben. Onlangs heeft de 40th Chicago International Film Festival de prijs ‘The New Directors Silver Hugo’ aan de film ‘Mùa Len Trâu’ (Buffalo Boy) toegekend, een film van Nguyễn Võ Nguyên Minh, met de inspiratie uit een kort verhaal met dezelfde titel.

Werd opgenomen in twee provincies in het platteland in Zuid Vietnam, de film volgt de weg naar de volwassenheid van Kìm (Lê Thế Lữ), een 15 jarige buffeljongen, die opdracht gekregen heeft twee hongerige waterbuffels van zijn familie te drijven naar het BaThê-gebergte in het hoogwaterseizoen. Tijdens de ruwe tocht door verscheidene landschappen, deels door water bedekt, ontdekt hij een mannenwereld vol van geweld, alcohol en bedrog, maar tegelijkertijd een wereld van vrijheid, viriele vriendschap en solidariteit – de wereld van de buffelhouders.

Gefascineerd door het zwerversleven van deze miserabele struikrovers en in de zoektocht naar het voedsel om te overleven, laat Kìm zijn straatarme familie achter, maar zijn oorsprong, oftewel zijn vader, vergeet hij nooit.

Nguyễn Võ Nguyên Minh studeerde engineering in Frankrijk en natuurkunde in California. Na het regisseren van een korte film en een documentaire begon hij met het script voor ‘Mùa Len Trâu’ en werkte samen met West’s Screenwriters Lab tot zijn eerste speelfilm.

Deze film wordt verwacht in de bioscopen in Nederland in de loop van 2005.

*

Victor Vu is een ander geval. Hij behoort tot de nieuwe generatie van zelfstandige filmmakers. Na de studie aan de Loyola Marymount University in filmkunst begon hij met een debuutfilm. ‘Firecrackers’, een film over het huiselijke mishandeling, onder de ogen van een kind bekeken. Deze film heeft enkele prijzen in de wacht gesleept (in Hampton’s International Film Festival en Newport Beach Film Festival). Kort daarna ging hij samen met Philip Silverman, een mede-student, een eigen bedrijf oprichten: Strange Logic Entertainment. Onder deze naam realiseerde Victor Vu zijn eerst film ‘First Morning’, die aan diverse filmfestivals heeft meegedaan (het San Diego Asian Film Festival 2003, met de prijs ‘Best Dramatic Feature’ en het Vietnamese Film Festival 2003). Recentelijk heeft hij een nieuwe speelfilm ‘Oan Hồn’ (Spirits) gemaakt. Deze film zal ook in de Nederlandse bioscopen te zien zijn in 2005. Zie hieronder het intervieuw met Victor Vu door zijn vriend Daniel Nguyen over deze film. *

[Daniel Nguyen]: Victor, I’m glad I have the opportunity to get together with you today for this interview.

[Victor Vu]: Thank you Daniel!

[Daniel]: Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself?

[Victor]: Yes, my name is Victor Vu. I’m an independent filmmaker and I’m getting ready for the release of my film “Spirits.”

[Daniel]: What other movies have you been behind, and can you give us some information on them?

[Victor]: Well, my first feature film was a dramatic feature called “First Morning.” That is currently playing at film festivals right now, and “Spirits” is actually my second feature. That is actually going to be released before “First Morning” in theatres.

[Daniel]: So, what’s the general response to “First Morning” right now?

[Victor]: Actually, “First Morning” is really well received at festivals as of now. We’ve been getting a lot of sold out showings at these film festivals. The reaction from both Asian, and non-Asian audiences has been very very positive. So, I have a lot of good feelings about “First Morning,” and I’m really excited about the future release of it.

[Daniel]: How long has ‘Spirits’ been in production?

[Victor]: “Spirits” actually began about a year and a half ago. We were writing the script around that time. It started out as a DVD project and it turned into something a little bit bigger, and once more people got interested and involved, we’re actually pushing for a limited theatrical release. As far as production itself, it lasted for about two months, last summer. And then we went straight into post production. And as we’re sitting here right now, we’re still sound mixing. We should be done in about four or five days. So it’s been about a year and a half of a journey for us.

[Daniel]: Could you tell us about the movie?

[Victor]: Yeah! I can tell you as much as I can without giving away any secrets. Spirits is actually divided into three sections. The first part really sets up the story, and it deals with a writer, “Loc” who is looking for a place to finish his novel, and stumbles upon an abandoned house. And there is when he discovers all the dark secrets of the house. And that story leads into the second part and the third part which take on a different perspective, but in the end, all three stories come full circle to become one film.

[Daniel]: Sounds good! How would this movie differentiate itself from all other movies in the ghost genre?

[Victor]: Well, you know, to tell you the truth, in the beginning…when we wrote this script, part of the title was Spirits, and the other part was A Vietnamese Ghost Story. The reason behind that is that I think that what differentiates this ghost story from other ghost stories… as far as Western or even Japanese/Chinese ghost stories. Vietnamese ghost stories are in a way, very melodramatic. They have a very strong emotional content to them. In this case, there is a tragic love story at the heart of our story. And I think that that’s what separates this from more traditional ghost stories. This one is based more on traditional and spiritual beliefs of the Vietnamese, based on Karma, Fate, and Reincarnation and those sort of things that are…I guess you could say are very much Eastern themes. So it’s not your “wham-bam” slasher type of horror flick. It really has a sentimental quality to it, and that’ll be interesting to see how people react to it.

[Daniel]: So, how would you describe the scares in Spirits…are we going to be jumping out of our seats?

[Victor]: {Laughs} I think there’ll be definite places. We’ve had a few test screenings, and I think there’s definite spots in this film where you’re going to jump a little bit. But I think that it’s one of those ghost stories that really rely on the mood and atmosphere of the film, and not just the actual monster jumping out at you. It really is trying to set up a disturbing, eerie, and creepy atmosphere. And that’s where most of the terror lies is in the unknown and that which you cannot see.

[Daniel]: Is CG used in this movie…and is it a primary focus on bringing the spirits to life?

[Victor]: CG is definitely a small element in the film, but for sure it is not a primary focus. I’ve never really been a really big fan of CG. I think mainly because I feel like CG nowadays is a primary focus for a lot of films. It’s like an entire film is based on a certain effect, and I think that that’s a big mistake. I think that CG, like many elements in film, should be a supplemental element of the film. I think that story, and character development really is the most important factors in a film. In “Spirits,” CG is used very very minimally. I think the main focus again, is really about the character’s journey, and specifically their emotional journey and psychological development throughout the film.

[Daniel]: Now, a lot of the times, movies suffer from the problem of “style over substance.” What is “Spirits” like; does it focus more on the scares or do you create a balance between these moments and the characters and story overall?

[Victor]: I think…for me, “Spirits” is definitely character-driven. It does have it’s moments of style but I’m hoping that for me…it’s not a case of style over substance. I’d like to think that “Spirits” is a very, very character driven film. And I think that because each story is so different from each other, each of the stories was created to stand on their own. It was very important that the story was very solid, the characters were very solid, and taking us through this journey from one, two, and three parts. For me, it’s really a ghost story that’s character driven.

[Daniel]: Interesting! So, how would you compare your movie to another horror movie like Ju-On, or the Ring?

[Victor]: I think it’s completely different in style actually. I’ve seen Ju-On. If there’s any film out there that that I could compare this film to, it would have to be “The Sixth Sense.” Mainly because, again, it’s extremely character driven, and also the scares are more psychological than anything that is in your face and very direct. For me, films like Ju-On are very very stylized. It’s a very stylized horror film. I don’t think that Spirits is that type of horror film. It’s almost told in a very folktale sort of way. It’s almost like sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories. That’s really the approach of Spirits, so it has that approach of storytelling quality to it that is familiar to our people. That is how I would compare it to The Sixth Sense. It’s a little bit more low key and minimal than the horror/ghost films that you mentioned such as Ju-On, or The Ring. It’s definitely less abrasive than those films.

[Daniel]: So…if any, was there an underlying theme or moral that you tried to convey in your project?

[Victor]: Definitely, I think the theme that people will walk away with is the idea of Karma that is going to creep up on you whether in this life or the next, and the idea and possibility of Reincarnation and the possibility of Fate taking over. All these elements become, I think, pretty frightening in the film. As the story develops, I think for me, it’s almost kind of like, what you do right now, whatever it is, there are going to be consequences, and you may not pay for it right now, but you may pay for it in some way perhaps in your next life, or some way down the road. And I think that’s what the film really plays on and whether people believe it or not, that’s their own, I guess… deal. The film really explores the possibility of an afterlife or a continuation of your life into the next. The scary thing is really about being unable to run from your past, even if you reincarnate into another being or go to the next life…somehow your Karma or your bad Karma from this life WILL follow you and it WILL find a way to get to you.

[Daniel]: Now, do these morals or themes affect the main character Loc?

[Victor]: Hmm, I will say it will…but I’m not going to tell you how specifically. I think the characters in my film, their enemy is their own conscience…their enemy is their own Karma. That’s really the antagonist in the whole film because that’s really the central theme of the film itself.

[Daniel]: Okay, that’s fair enough. Who would you say is your target audience, and if there is a target, are you looking to bridge that gap and reach further out to a larger fan-base?

[Victor]: “Spirits” was made in Vietnamese, set in Vietnam, and obviously the Vietnamese actors, so naturally, the number one audience is Vietnamese. I think that just like any other foreign language film, this has its obvious market…which is the Vietnamese market. But like every other foreign film, there’s also the potential of crossing over. And my hope is that “Spirits” will appeal to a wider audience. It is a popular genre, and I hope that other markets will be able to embrace the themes and the styles of our Vietnamese Ghost story.

[Daniel]: What was it like working with the cast?

[Victor]: Half of the actors I worked with on “Spirits,” I’ve worked with before on “First Morning.” Everyone was really excited about the project from the beginning and I think mainly because it’s something different. I think in the Vietnamese entertainment industry, and this might be the first Vietnamese ghost story ever made into a film, so I think it was exciting for a lot of the actors and actresses. I think that for me, it was nice to work with familiar faces, and be able to work with a lot of new actors and actresses as well, but everyone was really dedicated and committed and it made my job a lot easier.

[Daniel]: What would you say is the most memorable experience you and your cast had during the making of this movie?

[Victor]: That’s a very difficult question actually. But I think the memorable moment is basically, since we shot in an open set, so that meant we had to shoot night scenes at night and day scenes during the day. For the night shoots, we had to shoot starting at six in the evening until three or four in the morning. So those, I think were pretty hard nights for everyone. The most memorable thing was that everyone had such good attitudes and such high spirits every night until three or four in the morning; we were still joking around and having a good time, at the same time, really trying our best to finish the film. So I think that for me is the most memorable experience in general, just being able to work with everyone under a difficult schedule and everyone still remaining as positive and supportive as possible.

[Daniel]: Budget-wise, can you tell us about the making of?

[Victor]: The budget situation in this film was similar to the budget in “First Morning.” It was a very limited budget. Along with my executive producer Philip Silverman, we worked at getting some financing for the film, but compared to most big budget Hollywood films, our film is probably still considered low budget. I think the beauty of it though is, we were able to pull off a lot of exciting things for the budget that we had. This film was filmed entirely on a set built outdoors. That in itself was a major feat creating the set for the film. So even though we had a lot of budget constraints, it sort of forces us as filmmakers to be very resourceful and as creative as possible with the budget that is allowed.

[Daniel]: So, were there any tough times during the making of the movie that you just wanted to stop filming, and what kept you going?

[Victor]: {Laughs} I never felt like I wanted to stop to tell you the truth. I think that once the ball was rolling on “Spirits,” for me it was a consistent momentum. And I think it’s very important to keep that momentum going, especially being the director, I think that you gotta keep everyone’s morale up, and yes, it was again a difficult shoot only because of the scheduling and the fact that we were shooting on an open set. So a lot of long days and long nights, but I think we all really tried to keep a positive attitude and move forward. And that was the thing for me; we had gotten so far getting the financing together, the script done, the cast and crew, and the set built. I think that there wasn’t anything that could have stopped us. I mean, a tornado could have hit, and we would’ve rebuilt the next day and just finish the film.

[Daniel]: What’s the scariest Vietnamese ghost story you’ve ever heard of?

[Victor]: You know, I’ve heard so many. That’s what really inspired me actually. Growing up in America, I’ve been told so many stories from Vietnam. Of course, the most haunting things that I’ve heard were the ghost stories. I’ve heard stories of shadows sitting at the edge of your bed, and ghosts that choke you at night, and a lot of things that I heard as a child that really had a lasting impression on me. I can’t really name one specific ghost story, there are so many. But for me, the most haunting of all ghost stories were the ones that involved the death of a loved one. Those really hit me because those stories were not only scary, eerie, and disturbing, but they were also very sad. And because they had that emotional content, that’s what really drew me in, and that’s what made me remember them the most. A lot of these stories were told to me by my grand parents and relatives who lost people, who lost loved ones and family members, and that’s what was really devastating is the fact that it came from a personal experience.

[Daniel]: Interesting… Out of curiosity, some actors and directors say that they are haunted by images from the movie that they last worked on… are there any images from “Spirits” that haunt you even after this movie has been made?

[Victor]: {Laughs} Not really. It’s not really a haunting image, but rather a lasting impression. There are some images in this film that really came from my own imagination when I heard these ghost stories from Vietnam. There are some images in this film that when I look at it, all I can remember is being a child and hearing these stories, and remembering what I saw in my head at that exact moment when the story was being told to me. So I think there are quite a few parts in the film that sort of remind me of that part of my childhood.

[Daniel]: Do you personally believe that a house can be haunted by spirits after a traumatic experience occurs, or rather simply put, do you believe in spirits?

[Victor]: Yes I do, I believe in the other side. I believe there is a whole other world existing that we cannot see. And I think only a small select group of people can see or have the sensibility to see. I myself have seen a ghost before when I was young. But only once and only once and it’s something that I will never forget. But, I do believe there is a whole spiritual side to our existence, and whether it’s in the forms of ghosts, goblins, or monsters, I don’t know. But the idea of it existing is something I really believe in.

[Daniel]: So regarding these childhood experiences or stories that you were told, do you think they in any way influenced the making of this movie?

[Victor]: Yes, I think making this movie was an obvious choice for me. I think that ghost stories are a big part of Vietnamese culture because they deal with a lot of daily Vietnamese traditions and beliefs. Because it’s such a big part of Vietnamese culture, I think I wanted to make something that Vietnamese people could relate to and enjoy. I think the important thing was making a ghost story that was specific to the Vietnamese way of telling a ghost story. And definitely my childhood experiences and fascination with supernatural tales and ghost stories really had an influence in the decision to make this film and to shoot it.

[Daniel]: Was there anything that you learned during the production of Spirits that you weren’t able to utilize, that you would want to apply in your next project?

[Victor]: {Laughs jokingly} I want a bigger budget! In all seriousness, I think that as a filmmaker you grow each and every time you make a film. I can’t really go into specifics, but I think it’s a combination of many things: the way I work with actors, the way I shoot a scene, the way I covered a scene, the way I plan out how a story is going to unfold. I think that all those things, you kind of learn more and more each and every time you make a film. So I think there are a lot of technical and creative aspects that I want to bring towards the next film.

[Daniel]: Are there any other film genres that would you like to get into?

[Victor]: Most definitely. One of the reasons I wanted to make “Spirits” was because move away from the dramatic narrative, which is what “First Morning” was. I wanted to try something different; I wanted to try a different genre. I think that’s the thing for me, I want to experiment with different genre type of stories, because I think there are so many interesting and wonderful stories out there. I’m a big fan of thrillers and I’m a big fan of dramas as well. But one area I’d love to touch upon is something more action oriented. I’m interested in maybe doing a crime drama of some sort. That’s something I really want to work on next actually.

[Daniel]: Have you ever considered acting?

[Victor]: Acting? {Laughs} I don’t know about acting. I’ll leave that up to the professionals!

[Daniel]: So, what do you do to unwind after a long day of work?

[Victor]: Hmm, that’s a good question! I don’t know, I haven’t unwound in a long time, but maybe after the premier.

[Daniel]: When Spirits is all done and through with, what are your plans? Perhaps a nice long vacation, or are you going to get to work on your next project?

[Victor]: I don’t think I’m going to have a vacation for awhile. I think that with the release of “Spirits,” I feel like I’m going to get busier to tell you the truth. We’re going to be touring this film; I also have “First Morning” that I want to release at the end of the year, then there’s the DVD release of “Spirits” and then there’s also my next project which I’d like to get into pre-production next year Spring. So there’s a lot going on, and for me, making films is therapeutic and is really rewarding for me. So in a way, making movies for me is a vacation in itself!

[Daniel]: So, when can we expect the DVD to be released?

[Victor]: We’re looking at the Fall, probably around Halloween time.

e[Daniel]: You said you had another project in the works; can you give a hint at what that’ll be about?

[Victor]: That, actually, I’m still actually pondering. I probably won’t get started writing the project for another couple of months. But it is going to lean on that crime drama genre that I was speaking about earlier.

[Daniel]: Well, it’s been a pleasure Victor, and thank you for meeting with me today to conduct this interview. I wish you luck and success on Spirits and everything that is to come in your life!

[Victor]: Thank you very much Daniel!