Since 2012's The Hero, why have you only now returned to historical dramas through The Last Wife (to be shown in theaters from November 3, 2023), after trying your hand at many other film genres before?
Audiences are always eager to experience new genres. I myself am also always looking for new sources of inspiration. Historical drama is a rare genre in the Vietnamese film market, so I believe this is a strange "dish" for the audience. The Last Wife not only exploits the beauty of Vietnamese culture, but is also an emotional story. I believe that although the story takes place 150 years ago, today's audiences will still sympathize and sympathize with the main character in the story about the fate of women in feudal times in this film.
Trying many genres shows your creativity, but there are also Victor Vu films that are not successful in terms of revenue. So with this historical story, are you afraid that the film will not be "popular" in the market?
My point of view when choosing a film project is not to think about taste and revenue. If I put this thought first, it will become a problem that hinders creativity. Because I think cinema is first and foremost art, of course the films Victor Vu makes are for the public to watch. I always believe that the audience needs both entertainment and art when watching a film. But when choosing a project, I always think first about what message the film will convey, what value it has for the audience, or what emotions the film wants to bring to the audience. Those emotions can be joy, fear, tension, romance, sadness..., but they must be present in the films I make. To be honest, whether the film wins or loses, I face that result calmly, without worrying too much. Because I know for sure one thing, I have put all my effort into that film, there is nothing to regret. As for how the audience receives the film, it is the audience's right.
Are you under too much pressure to always renew yourself so that the audience doesn't think "Victor Vu is old, there's nothing new because all his tricks have been used up"?
Actually, that is not pressure, but what I really want is to exploit something new. I always keep in mind: The story is not as important as the way you tell it, and that way of telling it must bring new things to the audience. The Last Wife as well as my recent films, the story seems familiar, but the way I tell it, the way I exploit it will definitely bring the audience new emotions, a different perspective. So that pressure is more on myself, not me pressuring the audience. I am someone who often goes to the cinema to watch other people's films, so I understand what an audience wants when they go to the cinema to watch a movie, which is to make a film so that the audience can be "wow" in a surprising way by the new emotions that the film brings. That makes me have to put that pressure on myself.
Movie poster Blue Eyes
That makes him proactively change himself constantly, like after making a romantic film like Blue Eyes (2019) , he immediately switched to horror and thriller genres like Guardian Angel (2021) , then continued to drama and psychology like The Last Wife (2023) ?
I think that is my destiny with each film, at that exact moment. Emotions come very suddenly and unexpectedly. Like other filmmakers, I am always looking for inspiration for my films, and I myself have so many stories I want to tell. To be honest, if The Last Wife is the 17th film in my career, then there will definitely be 30-40 more films that I want to make. In my head, I always "nurture" stories that I find interesting and think the audience will also want to experience watching them. I believe I never run out of ideas for films. I don't try to think of ideas, they come naturally. And I will start working on that idea when I have a direction to tell it.
How do you evaluate the current Vietnamese film market when there is increasingly greater screening and fiercer competition at the box office?
I think there are two issues if we have to analyze. First, the culture of going to the cinema is changing, meaning that people will be more selective before going to the cinema, will only spend money to see movies that they are interested in, and are well promoted. Movie-watching habits have changed due to the tight economy, audiences are more careful in spending. It is not only the cinema that is facing difficulties but all other service industries as well. Second, the mindset of watching movies has also changed, current audiences have higher taste, demanding more in terms of quality, content, and strong emotions in a movie.
Is it because the quality of most Vietnamese films is so bad that audiences have lost faith in watching Vietnamese films? For a film to be worth paying for, it must have a guarantee factor of a large investment from a famous producer and director?
Saying that is not fair to young and new film crews. The first problem is that if the film is good, it must be promoted appropriately so that the audience knows about it and watches it; but if a good film is not promoted, who will know to watch it? Regarding the quality of a film, it must be evaluated based on two factors: filmmaking techniques and content. All technical factors such as images, sound, lighting, soundtrack, etc. are to serve the purpose of bringing emotions to the audience, otherwise they are going in the wrong direction. So what I want to tell the crews is to focus, aim to achieve the two words "emotion", if the film as a whole has emotions, it will touch the hearts and sympathy of the audience and thus, the film has hope of winning at the box office.
Movie Poster I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass
Victor Vu has never made films that required box office stars, but often chose young, new actors. Are you still following that direction or have you changed it to attract more audiences?
Having a famous actor in the film will help promote the film, but it does not guarantee the success of the story you are telling. Because the content requires actors who are suitable for the role and must convey the right emotions and psychology of the character. I chose Kaity Nguyen as the female lead of The Last Wife because she is so suitable for the role. For me, this new role of Kaity Nguyen is a breakthrough for her, and I believe the audience will be interested (unlike the familiar image of a concubine that everyone has seen before) with what we have done in The Last Wife . It can be said that Kaity Nguyen is a breakthrough choice for this film, not because of her name.
With the current gloomy situation of Vietnamese cinema, do you think things will improve sooner or later?
Everything needs time to recover. We will still have to continue and do better, not only to regain the audience's trust, but also to join hands to develop Vietnamese cinema. Certainly, during this time, attracting audiences to the cinema is a challenge for filmmakers. Sooner or later, the recovery depends on whether there are many good Vietnamese films coming to theaters.
Poster of the movie The Last Wife by Victor Vu
Besides the image of a passionate person with a passion for filmmaking, the audience also wants to know what Victor Vu, a man with a wife and two children, is like in his daily life?
I really love going out with my family. That's why I always take my whole family with me on my recent film projects. I always want to be with my wife and children after working hours at the studio. I think the children are still very young, still developing, and need both their father and mother in their lives, so I don't want to disappear for a few months while making a film. I also want my children to have new experiences with nature, or to be a little more "out of the woods" by living in different places, outside of the familiar, full city life.
Do you consider yourself a romantic or a practical person, liberal or principled?
Maybe all of them. Because I see myself after getting married to actress Dinh Ngoc Diep, I have also experienced many very strong emotional states. When I am romantic, I am very emotional, but when I need principles, I am extremely disciplined. I think that being a husband and a father, I cannot avoid all of the above emotions. Normally, I may not be a romantic or emotional person; but when facing my wife, children, and family, those emotions are natural. I will have an appropriate way of behaving in each situation.
Director Victor Vu's family
For an artist couple, what do you think is the most important thing to maintain a lasting marriage?
I think not only for artist couples or ordinary people, the most important thing in marriage is sharing. Don't keep any grudges in your heart. If you are upset or sad about something, talk openly with respect for each other to understand each other better. I am lucky to marry a wife who works in the same industry because it is easier to sympathize and understand each other, for example when we have to film until dawn or can't come home...
Are you satisfied with your life now? What is your immediate career goal?
Life is never perfect for anyone, the important thing is whether you are satisfied or not. I think accepting everything that happens will help you take all the difficulties lightly and make life easier for yourself. Sometimes that acceptance makes you happy. And right now I feel happy. What about career aspirations? A lot, because I still think that I am new to the profession, my career is starting to take off and I still have many other film stories to tell. I will continue to try until I can't do it anymore. Now, as long as I can do it with passion for movies, I will cherish and be grateful to do it.
Victor Vu and the film crew
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