International film promoting Vietnamese tourism and culture
A tourist's guide to love is the first international film licensed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to be filmed in Vietnam after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two main characters in the film (Photo: Netflix).
The film follows Amanda (Rachael Leigh Cook) - a travel specialist living in the US. After a sudden breakup with her long-term boyfriend, she decides to go to Vietnam to secretly research the tourism industry there.
The journey to explore Vietnam pushes Amanda into a romance with a Vietnamese tour guide named Sinh (Scott Ly). They decide to change the predetermined destinations of the travel company to discover the beauty of life, love and people in a completely new way.
The film is mainly set in Vietnam (Photo: Netflix).
Directed by Steven Tsuchida and written by Irish-Vietnamese screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue, A Tourist's Guide to Love showcases the beauty of Vietnam to a global audience through its iconic locations.
The two Vietnamese actors participating in the film, Meritorious Artist Le Thien (as Sinh’s grandmother) and Quinn Truc Tran (as Sinh’s younger sister), also create interesting highlights among the international stars. If Meritorious Artist Le Thien’s character is the embodiment of traditional values, then Quinn Truc Tran’s image in the film represents the dynamic, individualistic youth. The intersection between the old and new values of Vietnam is clearly depicted, demonstrating the research and seriousness of the film crew.
What did the foreign crew say about the controversy?
After its official release on April 21 on Netflix, A Tourist's Guide to Love has attracted the attention of many Vietnamese audiences. This can be considered the first international film promoting Vietnamese tourism and culture to be released on the world's leading online platform.
Viewers are delighted when the work brings attractive, vibrant scenes in Ho Chi Minh City, the charming scenery of Da Nang, the ancient beauty of Hoi An, the majestic nature of Ha Giang and the unique beauty of Hanoi, where the past and the present intersect. Some Vietnamese customs such as using chopsticks to eat rice, wrapping banh chung, cleaning incense burners on Tet holiday... are skillfully woven through the characters' stories.
A scene filmed in Ha Giang (Photo: Netflix).
However, some opinions say that the film is simply about beautiful tourist scenery while the development of the love between the two characters Amanda and Sinh is quite vague. In addition, some details about Vietnamese culture in the film also raise questions because they do not "match" with real life. For example, the film has a scene where Sinh and Amanda go to Ha Giang - Sinh's paternal hometown to celebrate Tet. However, the characters living in Ha Giang speak with a southern accent and wear short-sleeved summer clothes.
Sharing at the media meeting on April 20, Meritorious Artist Le Thien said that the screenwriter and director had thoroughly researched Vietnamese customs and practices. A tourist's guide to love hopes to provide an overview of Vietnamese culture and landscapes, however, the film was limited in filming time so it could not tell the whole story.
"I think this should be understood. The entire crew worked very hard to make the film. Thank you for the efforts of the international film crew," said Meritorious Artist Le Thien.
Meritorious Artist Le Thien, actors Scott Ly, Rachael Leigh Cook, Quinn Truc Tran and screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue at the press conference on April 20 (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Explaining further about the controversy, screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue said: "We wanted to tell interesting situations along the travel itinerary but did not have enough time to film both weather settings according to reality. I am also of Vietnamese origin. I used my experience in traditional Vietnamese culture to write the film's script. I hope everyone will ignore those small mistakes and focus on the emotions in the love of the two characters."
Regarding the development of the love story between Amanda and Sinh, the screenwriter said: "Through the way they freely explore Vietnam, I convey the message that you do not need to follow a pre-existing schedule but step out of safe limits. This is essentially a film about travel, so the journey of the American girl from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An, up to Ha Giang and then to the capital Hanoi is like a dream journey. When experiencing like that, the character's emotions will change and develop. We see parallel changes, between the travel scenes and between the emotions of the two main characters, each has its own color in the film."
Memorable experience of Hollywood film crew
Vietnamese-American screenwriter Eirene Tran Donahue talks about the inspiration that helped her write the story in A tourist's guide to love : "My mother is Vietnamese, she met and fell in love with my father in Saigon. I myself have a similar story with my husband in Hanoi. That is what inspired me to write this script. For me, Vietnam is a land of love, joy and beauty that I want to share with the world."
Screenwriter Eirene Tran Donahue (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Hollywood star Rachael Leigh Cook - who plays Amanda and is also the film's producer - said she was honored to be part of the film. The 43-year-old beauty wanted to send Vietnam "a captivating love letter with all its glory, all its heart and all its humor".
The actress expressed: "We worked together and brought a great film. This is the first time I have worked in Vietnam, I feel extremely lucky that my work has brought me to this country. We have received a lot of support from the government, partners, associates, even the people here to help us produce this film. I still remember every day, every scene, every different location and the emotions they brought to me. Those are all memorable moments".
Lead actor Scott Ly also had many interesting memories when he returned to Vietnam to film A tourist's guide to love . "There were many things that came to mind when I read the script of the film about my homeland, the place I have loved since I was a child. I am truly grateful to be able to return to Vietnam, to my homeland, to be able to work with the people here. This is a very new and different experience for me," the actor shared.
Lovely interaction between "grandma" Le Thien and "grandson" Scott Ly (Photo: Organizing Committee).
In the film A Tourist's Guide to Love , Meritorious Artist Le Thien plays the role of a kind, humorous and hospitable grandmother. The artist emotionally said at the press conference on April 20: "As an older actor like me coming to this project, participating with an international film crew, I feel a new feeling like my first love."
For Quinn Truc Tran, the film is like a "milestone" that helps rekindle her passion for acting. Previously, the young actress had intended to give up her acting career to become an office worker. However, the opportunity to be invited to the casting of A Tourist's Guide to Love helped Quinn Truc Tran learn a lot from the foreign crew and decided to continue pursuing this career in the future.
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