A scene from Gái Già Lắm Chiêu V – Những Cuộc Đời Vương Giả (The Tricky Ladies V: Luxurious Lives), a comedy-drama by young directors Bảo Nhân and Nam Cito. The film is among a series of Vietnamese films being shown in the online film week called “The 22nd Việt Nam Film Festival on VTVGo” which takes place from November 14-20. Photo courtesy of the producer

HCM CITY — The online film week called “The 22nd Việt Nam Film Festival on VTVGo” is taking place this week attracting various domestic films on show from now until Saturday.

The event is among cultural activities to celebrate the 22nd Việt Nam Film Festival, which opens online in the central province of Thừa Thiên Huế tomorrow.

The week features Vietnamese productions in the categories of feature films, documentaries and animes. They will be screened on video streaming platform VTVGo. 

Highlighted feature films include Gái Già Lắm Chiêu V – Những Cuộc Đời Vương Giả (The Tricky Ladies V: Luxurious Lives) and Song Song (Two Faces).

Gái Già Lắm Chiêu V – Những Cuộc Đời Vương Giả, a comedy-drama about love and women, is directed by young artists Bảo Nhân and Nam Cito.

The duo hired A-list actresses Lê Khanh, Hồng Vân, Kaity Nguyễn and Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc who have helped to attract fans since the staff began filming their first scenes in Huế City last year. 

The producer, Thiên Ngân (Galaxy) Studio, spent VNĐ46 billion (US$2 million) on production.  

Its official trailer was released on YouTube in December and has attracted more than 1.7 million viewers.

The thriller Song Song is about a married woman who loses her memory after a traffic accident. 

The story of the film, directed by Nguyễn Hữu Hoàng, refers to "the butterfly effect", a hypothetical situation that illustrates how small initial differences may lead to large unforeseen consequences over time.

The film stars Nhã Phương who won the Golden Kite Award for Best Featured Film Actress in 2019 from the Việt Nam Cinematography Association.

Another hit is Ranh Giới (Boundary), a documentary film by director Tạ Quỳnh Tư of the Việt Nam Television (VTV). 

The film features stories of health workers helping pregnant women with COVID-19 at Hùng Vương Hospital in HCM City. 

It aired on VTV’s channel 9 in September and left a strong impression on Vietnamese audiences at home and abroad. 

“I think that life has certain boundaries. Will, faith and love make us overcome these boundaries in some way,” said the film’s director Tạ Quỳnh Tư in an interview with local media. 

“Health workers’ great sacrifices will help audiences see the fierce reality, and people will be more aware of the spirit of solidarity through these very human stories.” — VNS