DOWN SOUTH - Poster for Đất Rừng Phương Nam (Southern Land), a film on southern history and culture by blockbuster director Nguyễn Quang Dũng. The filming began this week in HCM City. Photo courtesy of the producer.

HCM CITY — Filming for Đất Rừng Phương Nam (Southern Land), a film on southern history and culture by blockbuster director Nguyễn Quang Dũng, has begun in HCM City. 

The work expected to be completed next year tells the adventures of a boy named Nam, who loses his family in a battle and lives in the southwestern region under the French colonists. 

He learns new things with the help of poor farmers and children, and travels around the region and witnesses the suffering of farmers during the war.

He joins the Việt Minh guerrillas to fight against the French troops. 

The producer, HK Film, invited talented director Dũng, director of photography Diệp Thế Vinh, and music producer Đức Trí to guarantee the film's high quality in images, sound and light effects.

SOUTHERN CINEMA - A scene from the film Đất Rừng Phương Nam (Southern Land), a production on southern history and culture produced by the private film company HK Film and its partners. Photo courtesy of the producer.

The film Đất Rừng Phương Nam is based on the famous novel of the same name by the late author Đoàn Giỏi, winner of the State Awards for Literature and Arts in 2001. 

Giỏi’s book was released by the Kim Đồng Publishing House in Hà Nội in 1958.

The 255-page work is a song in praise of southern people, their history and culture. It provides readers, particularly children, with new ideas about the nature, animals, rivers, plants and people of the south. 

The book has been printed in dozens of languages, such as English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish and Polish. Its chapter titled Sông Nước Cà Mau (Rivers of Cà Mau) has been used in textbooks for secondary students. 

In 1997, the work was adapted into a 11-part TV series called Đất Phương Nam (Song of the South) by director Nguyễn Vinh Sơn. 

Sơn's work won the first prize for the Year’s Best TV Series at the 1997 National Film Festival presented by the Việt Nam Cinematography Association.

It was subtitled in English and has been distributed in the US, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

Director Dũng spent five years to prepare for his biggest film project Đất Rừng Phương Nam. 

He used movie stars Hứa Vĩ Văn and Tuấn Trần, and Meritorious Artist Nguyễn Công Ninh to play lead roles. 

Filming will be shot in southern provinces such as An Giang, Cần Thơ, Sóc Trăng, Trà Vinh and Đồng Tháp. 

“I hope my new version of Đất Rừng Phương Nam will meet the demands of moviegoers, especially author Giỏi’s readers, who are of all ages and backgrounds,” said director Dũng, who has 25 years in the industry.

Dũng's previous film, Tháng Năm Rực Rỡ (Splendid Years), a remake of a Korean hit called Sunny, earned more than VND65 billion (USD2.85 million) in ticket sales in 2018. — VNS