The poster for ‘Đất Đỏ’ carries the tagline: 'A flower falls, a legend lives forever'. — Photo courtesy of producer

HÀ NỘI — More than three decades after the first film about Vietnamese heroine Võ Thị Sáu, a new production will premiere next year.

Entitled Đất Đỏ (Red Earth), the film begins shooting in the third quarter of this year and is scheduled for release in 2027, marking the 75th anniversary of her passing (1952–2027).

Beyond the big screen, the project serves as an act of remembrance and gratitude, aiming to honour her legacy and inspire patriotism, especially among younger generations.

Produced by Viettel Media, 1-All Stars and ProductionQ, Đất Đỏ has launched a large-scale casting campaign with registration open in Hồ Chí Minh City and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu.

Auditions cover the full range of characters, from members of the Đất Đỏ Volunteer Security Force to other key roles, seeking performers who embody both the skill and spirit of the story.

The film will be directed by Lê Văn Kiệt, known for Hai Phượng (Furie), The Princess, and Dịu Dàng (Gentle).

Nguyễn Cao Tùng, general director of 1-All Stars, described Đất Đỏ as a bold new interpretation of a historic icon’s journey, placing the heroine amid harsh choices and the brutality of war.

Kiệt explained that he aims to use modern cinematic language to retell history with profound personal emotion.

In 1994, actress Thanh Thúy portrayed the young heroine in 'Người Con Gái Đất Đỏ' (The Daughter of the Đất Đỏ Land), released by Giải Phóng Film Studio. — Photo courtesy of Giải Phóng Film Studio

Rather than presenting only an epic figure, the film portrays Võ Thị Sáu as a spirited 13-year-old girl full of life. She once dreamed of a peaceful future beneath the eggfruit tree, but the tragedies of her time compelled her to rise and fight for her homeland.

The story takes audiences back to the resistance bases of Long Mỹ (now in Cần Thơ City) and Minh Đạm (Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu), where young people were thrust into the harsh realities of war. Members of the Đất Đỏ Volunteer Resistance Force chose to take up arms to fight the French occupation.

Đất Đỏ immerses viewers in a suffocating atmosphere where searing heat and cruelty defined the conflict. "Tiger cages", "cow sheds" and "lime powder" – instruments of torture in Côn Đảo prison – ravaged both body and spirit. Yet it was in this "hell on earth" that revolutionary willpower burned brightest, fierce and unyielding.

Legacy on screen

The legacy of Võ Thị Sáu has long been present on screen. In 1994, Người Con Gái Đất Đỏ (The Daughter of the Đất Đỏ Land), directed by Lê Dân and released by the Giải Phóng Film Studio, etched her image into the hearts of audiences through the performance of People’s Artist Thanh Thúy.

At just 17, with natural acting and a voice that stirred emotions, Thúy created an enduring artistic monument inseparably linked to the song Biết Ơn Chị Võ Thị Sáu (Gratitude Towards Miss Võ Thị Sáu). The role earned her Best Actress at the 11th Việt Nam Film Festival.

In 1995, actress Hương Giang further brought her image to television in Như Một Huyền Thoại (Like a Legend), directed by Lê Hoàng Hoa and produced by TFS.

A portrait of heroine Võ Thị Sáu was recreated in 2025 by the artist collective Trái Tim Người Lính Việt Nam (The Heart of Vietnamese Soldiers). — Photo courtesy of Trái Tim Người Lính Việt Nam

Born in 1933 in Đất Đỏ District, Võ Thị Sáu joined the district resistance force at 14, serving as a scout and carrying out missions against local authorities and reactionary elements — collaborators of the French occupation forces.

Between 1948 and 1949, she joined several attacks by resistance force, including a grenade attack at Đất Đỏ market and the killing of a district chief under French occupation rule. She was captured in February 1950 after the attack.

Despite enduring brutal torture in Đất Đỏ prison and later at Chí Hòa in Sài Gòn, she never revealed information. In 1951, the French occupation military sentenced her to death and on January 23, 1952 she was executed by firing squad at Côn Đảo Prison. — VNS