Director Tran Anh Hung: The one who awakens the audience's senses

Every film by director Tran Anh Hung is beautiful and poetic because of the aestheticism, meticulousness and perfectionism in each frame. In Muon vi nhan gian (English name: The Pot-au-Feu) - the work that helped him win the Best Director award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the audience can "smell, touch, taste" every vivid scene on the screen.

1. Cuisine always has a special place in the films of director Tran Anh Hung. The audience must remember, when making The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), just one scene of the late artist Anh Hoa stir-frying vegetables - a simple, rustic dish that seemed simple and easy to make but made many people surprised, it turned out that this was the standard way to stir-fry vegetables...

And in Muon Vi Nhan Gian , cuisine is not just a background. It is the soul, the thread that connects the love story between people with boundless love for cuisine, in harmony from thoughts, words to actions.

In the conversation, director Tran Anh Hung expressed: “The first challenge is how to create a balance between the love story and cuisine. Normally, when people make films about cuisine, they start with cuisine and gradually the story becomes more and more important, so the scenes about cuisine are overlooked. I want it to achieve balance and it is really a big challenge”. He also set a goal: “The scenes must be so good that when people want to make films about cuisine in the future, it will be very difficult for them to surpass this film. I told myself and hoped for such a result”.

Director Tran Anh Hung on the set of *Muon Vi Nhan Gian* . Photo: DPCC

The cuisine in Muon Vi Nhan Gian is spread throughout the film. Before the audience has time to eat or rest, they are bombarded with scenes of delicious dishes and a journey of sophistication and strictness in preparation and even a unique way of eating. Like the scene where the main character Dodin (played by Benoit Magimel) and his friends eat a bird, many people wonder why they have to cover their heads with napkins. According to the explanation, it is a special custom in the Southwest of France. After the bird is fried, the head must be covered with a napkin to prevent the aroma from escaping. Under the napkin, the guests hold the bird, place it on their cheeks until they can stand the heat and start eating. Because the whole bird will be put in their mouths, the fat can flow out, making the way of eating ugly, so they will cover it. This way of eating, both hidden and concealed, will allow diners to fully enjoy the essence. Or the scene when Dodin cooks chicken stew for Eugénie (Juliette Binoche), to get a satisfactory portion of chicken breast, he has to spend 2 other chickens to make broth. The final scene of the film, the French beef stew, requires 40kg of meat. Each scene like that is done many times... That shows the effort, each dish is like a journey of discovery full of surprises. Because it is so delicious, after filming, the actors can't even... button their shirts due to weight gain.

In Muon Vi Nhan Gian, director Tran Anh Hung uses many long takes to recreate the delicious, poetic atmosphere in the kitchen. For example, the first scene, lasting about 15 minutes, is a combination of 3 long takes like that. The cooking scenes must be carefully prepared in advance because they are very complicated in terms of technique.

“In the same shot, moving from one dish to another requires precision so that everything is cooked at the exact moment you bring it to the table. The characters also have to achieve perfection in their movement in the scene, body language, grace, hand-foot coordination, deciding where to place the knife, the spoon there… so as not to lose the rhythm. Difficult but interesting,” director Tran Anh Hung analyzed. Interestingly, although the film is full of French cuisine, the audience still recognizes very Vietnamese details. Like the scene where the maid uses a ladle to draw water from the well by hand, pouring it into the sink to wash each vegetable, very familiar and close.

2. Director Tran Anh Hung said it took him 7 years from the time he had the first idea until he finished Muon Vi Nhan Gian. “That was too long. I don’t like it, but I can’t avoid it,” he shared.

When asked, with countless prestigious awards in hand, asking for money is not "easier" at all, director Tran Anh Hung frankly said: "It's not easy to get funding because it's getting harder and harder." He revealed that in France, there is a very clear system that all producers have to go through. They don't spend money, but will have to seek funding from large film studios. If they are rejected, they will continue with small film studios. They will also go to international film sales agents, estimate the amount of money they need and give the distribution rights to their partners. He further explained: "It's not my job. But the producer still needs me to meet those people to convince them if they have any questions about the script or how to make the film." According to him, for a filmmaker with an award, it's still good, they can still make films, but it won't be done regularly. Even if they are funded, the amount of money received is less. "You have to do it and accept it," he shared.

Putting commercial and artistic considerations on the scale, director Tran Anh Hung admits that he has not changed. He is humorous, always thinking that his film will be a hit but then fails. However, he is happy because it is successful enough to make the next film. Up to now, after more than 2 weeks of release, Muon Vi Nhan Gian has earned a modest revenue of just over 2.4 billion VND. According to statistics from Box Office Mojo, globally, the film has a revenue of nearly 7.3 million USD. In his career, in terms of box office, the most successful is Norwegian Wood (2010) with a revenue of over 19 million USD.

“Many famous directors like Steven Spielberg can make movies that are both popular and of high cinematic quality. They have their own talent, and they can grasp the expectations of the audience. That is what we need to see, understand the specialized language of cinema to exploit in making commercial films. It is also possible that because I do not care too much, I cannot make popular films. I usually only care about what I think is right for my films. For me, each film is like a gift, not to generate revenue,” said director Tran Anh Hung.

After Muon Vi Nhan Gian , director Tran Anh Hung plans to make a film about Buddha. In addition, he is also collaborating with screenwriter Nguyen Khac Ngan Vi to make a story with only women and everyday situations. “It took me 9 months after the Cannes Film Festival to promote the film, with 59 flights everywhere. My wife - Yen Khe said to hurry up. I think my best rhythm is 1 film every 2 years, that is enough time to maintain health and creativity”, director Tran Anh Hung shared.

VAN TUAN

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