Actor of "When Will October Come?" shares unforgettable memories after more than 4 decades

On the evening of April 19, the program Cine 7 - Memories of Vietnamese Films brought the audience back to one of the classic Vietnamese films: When Will October Come by director Dang Nhat Minh.

The work was voted by CNN as one of the 18 best Asian films, not only depicting the pain of war but also touching the hearts of viewers with its profound human values.

"When Will October Come" is on the list of 18 best Asian films of all time (Photo: VTV provided).

Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi almost lost his role because of eating plums.

Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi was born in 1957 in Kim Dong, Hung Yen , is one of the prominent faces of Vietnamese cinema, known to many audiences through the role of teacher Khang in the movie When Will October Come?

Growing up in a family of 11 siblings, none of whom were artists, he was fascinated by movies since childhood, including Noi Gio , La Tuyen 17 Ngay Va Dem , idolizing Tra Giang, Lam Toi, and The Anh.

In 1973, by chance, he saw an actor recruitment notice. Huu Muoi submitted a 6-line application and was almost eliminated because of carelessness. Luckily, an examiner recognized his talent and helped him enter the 2nd class of the Vietnam Cinema School, studying with People's Artist Bui Bai Binh, Meritorious Artist Thanh Quy, and People's Artist Dao Ba Son.

Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi in the role of teacher Khang in the movie "When will October come" (Photo: Provided by VTV).

After graduating, Huu Muoi returned to Vietnam Feature Film Studio, starting with supporting roles in Khon Dau , Ngay Ay O Song Lam , and Phuong An Ba Bong Hong . In 1982, he shone with the role of teacher Thu - a character modeled after writer Nam Cao - in the film Lang Vu Dai Ngay Ay .

Two years later, director Dang Nhat Minh gave Huu Muoi the script When Will October Come ?

Few people know that, initially, he was not the first candidate for the role of teacher Khang because director Dang Nhat Minh wanted to avoid repeating the teacher image of Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi before.

However, with his talent, he conquered director Dang Nhat Minh and was chosen for this role.

The character of teacher Khang in When Will October Come (1984) is considered one of the memorable roles of Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi, bringing his name closer to the public and becoming a symbol in the hearts of Vietnamese cinema lovers.

In the program Cine 7 - Vietnamese Film Memories , Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi revealed an "unforgettable" memory when he almost lost his role because of... eating plums.

Huu Muoi said that while the film crew was filming the scene of the Cheo troupe with Meritorious Artist Le Van (in the role of Ms. Duyen), he was busy chatting with the people at the communal house yard. At that time, a girl brought out a bag of jujubes to offer. Because he was wearing the character's clothes to prepare for the role, Huu Muoi did not "grind the jujubes" as usual but ate them directly. After eating 2 fruits, he had a stomachache.

After that, Huu Muoi went to the machine operator's place, far from the stage, and drank tea, talking and forgetting the time. The film crew could not find him, the lighting man told them to turn off the machine. Director Dang Nhat Minh was angry, and announced that he would cut his role when he had already filmed half of the film.

"If I had been fired from the role at that time, my dream of becoming a "state-owned actor" would have been shattered," Huu Muoi recalled with a laugh.

The cameraman encouraged him to finish the scene, hoping the director would change his mind. Luckily, People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh kept him. This was both a sad memory, but also one he would never forget.

Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi shared in the program "Cine 7 - Memories of Vietnamese films" (Photo: VTV).

Later, when he became a director, Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi understood the strictness of director Dang Nhat Minh.

He confided: "It is right for directors to have such temper tantrums. Because as a director, when I go to the film crew, if the actors arrive late, are not focused on their roles or are not disciplined, I cannot accept it. Only then do I understand how undisciplined I was in my role."

Recalling the time of filming Bao gio cho den thang Muoi, Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi shared: "At that time, we were poor and lacked everything. We often joked that "state-owned artists" only knew how to receive state salaries and act in films.

If we haven't received a film yet, we have to go to the studio every day to discuss business and read documents. Before leaving with the film crew, we have to go to the rice shop to cut rice stamps to hand over to the crew. The only luggage we bring is a backpack. After completing a role, we only receive a bonus, if we are the main role, we get about 15-20 dong."

People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh: "Watching my films, many foreigners think they are very Vietnamese"

When Will October Come is not only an excellent film but also a "brainchild" containing much of the director's passion, People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh.

The title of the film When October Comes also has a profound meaning. Director Dang Nhat Minh was inspired by a folk song in the work Missing the Twelve by writer Vu Bang: "When October comes/ I take my sickle out to my field/ I bring the harvest home/ I dry it and fan it clean, and the work is done".

This folk song is also the opening line of the poem that the teacher Khang character reads in the movie.

Talking about Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi in the role of teacher Khang, director Dang Nhat Minh gave many compliments: "Mr. Huu Muoi is a good actor, who had just graduated from school at that time. Before that, Mr. Huu Muoi had played the role of a teacher. With Bao gio cho den thang Muoi , I was impressed by the scene where Mr. Khang watched cheo. His eyes were silent, not acting, but contained all the emotions. It is difficult for anyone to replace him."

With a long career in writing, director Dang Nhat Minh always believes that each film is a message to the audience. When October comes, it is no exception. He is also a rare person in the film industry who almost only makes films based on scripts written by himself.

Director, People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh (Photo: VTV).

Director Dang Nhat Minh said that when looking for a topic, he thought that the topic of fighting mainly only reflected the soldiers on the front lines, there were many people and their fates living in the countryside, so he wanted the film to talk about that.

"I want to tell about the people behind the scenes. It's all my accumulation from living in the countryside during the evacuation period," he said.

When Will October Come? clearly demonstrates the creative style, sophistication, and depth of director and People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh. The work is not only a memory of war but also a message to future generations, arousing faith in happiness and peace .

Especially in the scene of the yin and yang market and the haunting words of the character Nam (Duyen's husband): "I just want the living to be happy/ Only the living can do that/ I have finished my part/ What remains forever is what can never be seen". The dialogue is like philosophy, emphasizing the value of life and sacrifice, which is exactly what director, People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh wants to convey.

People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh shared: "Watching my films, many foreigners think they are very Vietnamese. Because Vietnam is in my blood and flesh."

It can be said that When October Comes is a classic work of Vietnamese cinema, not only because of its artistic value but also because of its meaningful messages. The film is a testament to the talent of the director, People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh and the dedication of the artists, including Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/dien-vien-bao-gio-cho-den-thang-muoi-ke-ky-niem-nho-doi-sau-hon-4-thap-ky-20250420095115853.htm