Adjust your mindset to have films that "exist for the audience"

From the fever of the movie "Peach, Pho and Piano", screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha believes that we should let cinema develop according to its natural laws, and historical education for the younger generation should be done carefully and delicately.

Screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha.

In recent days, "Peach, Pho and Piano" - a beautiful film about Hanoi has been causing a stir. According to you, what is the reason why "Peach, Pho and Piano" has created such a good effect?

First of all, it is a beautiful film. Beautiful in story, beautiful in images and beautiful in staging. The story is simple, not "big and bold" with slogans "Die for the Fatherland, live for the Fatherland" that we often see in films about this period. Those slogans are the historical reality of that period, but viewers, especially young viewers today, still do not easily accept them.

With " Peach, Pho and Piano" , viewers feel that spirit through the fate of people who are considered small and hidden in urban life when that city is still sparkling and bustling.

In their final moments, they shine with a natural devotion to the land they once lived in. The simplicity allows the audience to feel the patriotism without being “manipulated”, or having to try for anything. That is the first factor that makes the audience want to watch this film.

To express that spirit, the director chose the actors who “could not be more right”. They were like people lifted by the director, placed in that context. They lived with the characters with their subconscious, with the love for Hanoi as a part of their being, they just needed to express it.

The film is appreciated for its well-written script and talented cast. But what other factors are there, in your opinion?

I have talked about the script and the actors, but it is true that that alone is not enough “charm” for a film to make a strong impression. With a story “without bad guys”, creating dramatic conflict is difficult. In return, the meticulously built setting, calculating down to the smallest detail to create a realistic feeling for the image is another very important factor.

On the chaotic background of that battlefield, a beautiful love story took flight, the “light as air” deaths of Hanoi caused more admiration than sorrow. In addition, the reasonable rhythm of the film is also a big plus. The small details that continuously occur, unpredictable… give the film a youthful rhythm, suitable for today’s viewers.

Finally, the music is used very cleverly. Ca Tru blends with Western music, the sounds are released at the right time and place… I think there are few films where music is used so much, so diversely, without causing a feeling of noise or psychological disturbance to the viewer.

In your opinion, what needs to be done so that films like "Peach, Pho and Piano" can reach more audiences?

I think the story of releasing films made with state budget to the public is always a difficult problem. This genre of film has never had a budget for the media. Even when private producers and distributors contribute, the policy of sharing benefits is still very unclear (this happened with the film “I saw yellow flowers on green grass” made more than ten years ago).

In the immediate future, with “Dao, Pho and Piano” , perhaps the film management agencies should consider a short-term cooperation method with private distributors in the spirit of mutual benefit. Doing it once, to have a basis for considering a long-term policy and gradually incorporate the principles of cooperation into the Cinema Law. The fact that films are required to reach the audience will also force filmmakers to orient themselves, adjust their thinking, learn more, and be more open-minded to have films that truly exist for the audience.

However, it must be added that in the world, no film industry dares to claim that their films are winners. Cinema has many genres, including art films that are selective of audiences and commercial films, in every country. There are too many professional factors that need to be analyzed to have a fair view of works of art.

From the fever with this movie, surely young people are very interested in history? Do we need more movies like this?

If historical films are made well, they will of course be well received by young audiences. But if the whole country rushes to make historical films, it would be very… funny. I think we should let cinema develop according to its natural laws, and historical education for the younger generation should be done carefully and delicately.

In the current context of limited State investment in cinema, it is unrealistic to demand many historical films. Historical films about individual fates with concise and aesthetic contexts can be made.

But at that time, the requirements for the script had to be extremely strict and the scriptwriter had to be very skilled. At the same time, from the time the script was just a draft or outline, the writer had to know how to listen to the needs of the audience, especially the young audience, which is an important segment of the general audience.

That is to say, young people are not indifferent to historical topics, the important thing is that films need to be made seriously and have a new approach?

I think that young and old people are not indifferent to historical films. However, at each stage of social development, the audience's needs are not the same. At the present time, looking at historical events from a gloomy perspective, winning and losing is no longer appropriate.

But how to approach it in a novel way so that the audience does not "see" excessive errors, and at the same time the message of those historical events or characters does not become dry and tense... depends on the historical sediment in the creator himself. In short, historical films will forever be the desire of the audience and a "tough" challenge for the creator.

Thank you!

Trinh Thanh Nha is a rare female screenwriter in Vietnamese cinema who has been successful in both film and television. More than 35 years ago, she entered the film industry and achieved success with her first screenplay “Fairy Tale for 17-year-olds” which won the Best Screenwriter Award at the 8th Vietnam Film Festival in 1988.

As a screenwriter, she is the author of several movies: Fairy Tales for 17-year-olds, The Fate of the Witches, Bodhisattva, Love Trap...

She is also the author of many TV drama scripts such as : Tears between two centuries, Time crossroads, Green spider, Magic code, Turn, Green roses, Village raft story, Touching the dawn, Hue - red apricot season, Green obsession, Against the waves, Life game...

Source