Victor Vu used 1,000 ancient costumes to film 'Detective Kien'

Director Victor Vu used nearly 1,000 hand-made costumes to recreate the feudal era in "Detective Kien" - an 18+ detective film.

According to producer Dinh Ngoc Diep - Victor Vu's wife, the film crew spent a large amount of money on costume design. Because the setting is during the Nguyen Dynasty - 19th century, costumes are difficult to borrow or buy in large quantities, so the crew chose to make nearly 1,000 sets for the main and supporting roles. The actors wear about three to five layers of clothing each day.

Artist Ghi Fam - the film's art director - was in charge of the costume process, from fabric purchasing to dyeing and color processing. According to him, using new materials could create an unrealistic feeling when shown on the big screen. The design team had to bleach the fabric, then re-dye it, and make handmade accessories for each costume.

Costumes in the film are classified according to social class. The rich often wear silk ao dai, non quai thao or turban. Workers wear simpler clothes with ao tu than. Victor Vu said: "The more I film, the more I realize the richness of Vietnamese traditional costumes, so I want to honor this beauty. We strive to make a mark for each film, and at the same time hope that the audience will understand more about the culture through each period."

Teaser of the movie "Detective Kien" (rated 18+) - expected to be released on April 30. Video: Provided by the film crew

Detective Kien revolves around the main character played by Quoc Huy. The character is the person who handles and investigates the murder case that occurred at the house of the Duc Trong district magistrate in The Last Wife - 2023 film by the same director. According to the director, after the film was released, this role was loved by many audiences because of his resolute and intelligent character in solving crimes. Therefore, he came up with the idea of developing a sequel, the script was inspired by the novel Lake of resentment by author Hong Thai.

Victor Vu said the script clarifies the complicated relationship between detective Kien and Mrs. Hai (Dinh Ngoc Diep). The director returned to the investigative-detective film genre because he believes that a part of the audience still likes to watch this genre in Vietnamese theaters.

Dinh Ngoc Diep returns to the role of Mrs. Hai - the wife of mandarin Duc Trong in the previous film. Photo: November Film

Victor Vu, 50 years old, is part of the wave of overseas Vietnamese directors returning home to make films in the early 21st century. In the early 2010s, he made his mark with a series of films. Bride Wars, Heroic Destiny, Scandal. 2014, Blood heart grossed 85 billion VND, making him one of the most popular directors at that time. In 2015, I see yellow flowers on green grass - a film adapted from a novel by Nguyen Nhat Anh - became a box office phenomenon, Victor Vu won the award for Best Director of a Feature Film at the Vietnam Film Festival.

In 2019, Blue eyes - adapted from the novel of the same name - grossed 180 billion VND, ranked in the top 5 best-selling Vietnamese films at that time, won the 2021 Golden Lotus Award. The Last Wife (Kaity Nguyen plays the main role) will surpass 100 billion VND when released in 2023.

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