It took actress Hoàng Yến nearly ten years of hard work to become famous.

She started her career at the age of fourteen.

She is now twenty-three years old.

She still has many ideas for the future, both in film and in music.

by Thu Anh

After years of working hard, three young film actresses of HCM City are making their mark and leading a new generation that is inspiring audiences.

Hoàng Yến began her career with a 100-episode sitcom on Việt Nam Television when she was 14 years old.

She is now a new idol in both film and music after nearly 10 years working in the industry.

Her latest film, Tháng Năm Rực Rỡ (Splendid Years), a remake of a South Korean hit called Sunny, was released last month and was a hit in Việt Nam.

The film on urban women earned more than VNĐ65 billion (US$2.85 million) in ticket sales 10 days after release.

Yến performed a leading role besides stars Hồng Ánh and Mỹ Duyên, winners of the Golden Kite for Best Actress, presented by the Việt Nam Cinematography Association.

Last year, Yến played a supporting role in Cô Gái Đến Từ Hôm Qua (The Girl from Yesterday), a production by CJ Entertainment of South Korea, in co-operation with its Vietnamese partner, Yeah1 CMG.  

The film features a group of boys and girls, their problems and conflicts in life and love.      

It was sent for competition in World Fantastic Blue, a category for international fantasy, science fiction, comedy and drama, at the Busan International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea last year.   

“After working with Yến, I knew that her career would be film,” said the film’s director Phan Gia Nhật Linh.     

Cô Gái Đến Từ Hôm Qua helped Yến have a big chance in Tháng Năm Rực Rỡ, a production by veteran director Nguyễn Quang Dũng.

Dũng directed a series of quality films, including Nụ Hôn Thần Chết (A Kiss of Death), Những Nụ Hôn Rực Rỡ (Vivid Kisses) and Mỹ Nhân Kế (Beauty Trap), favourites among young audiences that broke records in ticket sales at that time.   

Yến later was invited to perform in two comedies, Kế Hoạch Đổi Chồng (Plan of Marriages) and Ả Xe Ôm và Gã Đứng Đường (Female Motorbike Taxi Driver and Homeless Man), both of which will be released this summer.

“I’m young so I wanted to develop my career in both films and music,” said 23-year-old Yến, who has released 20 MVs and albums in pop and dance.  

Younger than Yến, Kaity Nguyễn studied in the US before returning to HCM City for her career.  

Kaity performed in Em Chưa 18 (Jailbait), a drama-comedy hit by director Lê Thanh Sơn last year. 

She played Linh Đan, a 17-year-old student from a bilingual school who discovers herself through her relationship with a handsome yoga instructor.

Kaity won the Best Film Actress at Việt Nam Film Festival 2017 presented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The film earned VNĐ170 billion (US$7.5 million) with 2.5 million tickets sold in the first three weeks of its release, becoming the highest-grossing film in the country of all time, overcoming Hollywood blockbusters Kong: Skull Island and Fast and Furious 8.   

With the film’s success, Kaity was added to the list of young stars together with talented actresses Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc and Phương Trinh.   

“Passion for work is not enough for young women to overcome difficulties in this industry. You should be dynamic and energetic, and be prepared for failure at any time,” said 18-year-old Kaity, who has nearly 500,000 fans on her Facebook fanpage.

 “I wanted to develop my career in a professional way,” she added.

Kaity’s new project is a comedy film that will be released in December.

Another new face, Nhã Phương, began her career three years ago making TV series and short films. Her works have won acclaim from young audiences.

Her latest films, Yêu Đi Đừng Sợ (Don’t Be Affair, Just Love) and Lôi Báo ((In the Storm), were big hits last year. 

In a recent interview with local media, Phương said: “I love featuring the aspirations and difficulties in young women’s lives. I hope my art provides both entertainment and valuable lessons to young people, especially female teenagers,” said the 27 year-old, a graduate of the HCM City University of Theatre & Cinematography.

Her latest film, Hoán Đổi (Changes), a science fiction work by director Võ Thanh Hòa, will be released this year. VNS

GLOSSARY

After years of working hard, three young film actresses of HCM City are making their mark and leading a new generation that is inspiring audiences.

You and your brothers and sisters are one generation. Your parents and your aunts and uncles are another. Your grandparents and your great aunts and great uncles are another, and so on.

Audiences are people who watch performances. If they are inspired they are given the emotional energy to want to go out and do something positive.

Hoàng Yến began her career with a 100-episode sitcom on Việt Nam Television when she was 14 years old.

A career is a field in which you work or keep yourself busy in one way or another.

Episodes are single films that make up a series.

A sitcom is a television comedy.

She is now a new idol in both film and music after nearly 10 years working in the industry.

An idol, in this case, is a star who fans follow.

The film on urban women earned more than VNĐ65 billion (US$2.85 million) in ticket sales 10 days after release.

Urban women are women who live in towns and cities rather than in the country.

The film features a group of boys and girls, their problems and conflicts in life and love.      

Conflicts are clashes.

It was sent for competition in World Fantastic Blue, a category for international fantasy, science fiction, comedy and drama, at the Busan International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea last year.   

Fantasy is stuff that is full of imagination.

Science fiction stories that are not true and include all sorts of science and technology in their content.

Comedy is fun that you can laugh at.

Drama is acting.

She played Linh Đan, a 17-year-old student from a bilingual school who discovers herself through her relationship with a handsome yoga instructor.

A bilingual school is one in which two languages are used.

The film earned VNĐ170 billion (US$7.5 million) with 2.5 million tickets sold in the first three weeks of its release, becoming the highest-grossing film in the country of all time, overcoming Hollywood blockbusters Kong: Skull Island and Fast and Furious 8.   

A highest grossing film is one that makes the most money before the costs of making the film are subtracted from that amount.

A blockbuster is a very successful movie.

With the film’s success, Kaity was added to the list of young stars together with talented actresses Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc and Phương Trinh.   

A talented actress is one with lots of natural talent.

You should be dynamic and energetic, and be prepared for failure at any time,” said 18-year-old Kaity, who has nearly 500,000 fans on her Facebook fanpage.

Dynamic means strong and lively.

Her works have won acclaim from young audiences.

Acclaim means praise.

In a recent interview with local media, Phương said: “I love featuring the aspirations and difficulties in young women’s lives.”

Aspirations are hopes to achieve things.

WORKSHEET

Find words that mean the following in the Word Search:

1. An activity the character Linh Đan took part in.
2. The type of school Linh Đan attended.
3. A city in South Korea.
4. Kaity Nguyễn’s age.
5. A social media platform where Kaity Nguyễn has nearly half a million fans.

ANSWERS:

© Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2018

1. Yoga; 2. Bilingual; 3. Busan; 4. Eighteen; 4. Facebook.