HCM CITY – Young female director Luk Vân’s latest TV show, Khi Ta 16 (When We’re 16), will broadcast on HCM Television this week after more than a year of shooting.   

The 10-part series tell stories of urban teenagers who face challenges discovering themselves.    

It highlights school boys and girls and their stories of love and compassion.   

Vân invited amateur actors from high schools in Hà Nội and HCM City to play the film’s leading roles.

Her film includes sound and light effects with a soundtrack by teen band The Air.  

“My film, Khi Ta 16, is a song in praise of youth and love. My young actors were very interested in shooting it because the film features life through their eyes,” said the 26-year-old Vân  in an interview with local media before her film’s premier in HCM City last weekend. 

“I hope my film will meet the taste of young viewers, particularly teenagers, this summer,” she said.

In 2013, Vân began her career in Hà Nội by making short films for YouTube. Her works have won acclaim from young audiences.

Two of her films, Hà Nội, Em Yêu Anh (Hà Nội, I Love You) and Đừng Thích, Hãy Yêu (Don’t just Like, Do Love), attracted more than a million viewers on YouTube last year.

“I have worked very hard to overcome challenges and prove my ability to inspire young audiences,” said Vân, who has more than 15,000 fans on her fanpage.

Last year, her first feature film, 4 Năm 2 Chàng 1 Tình Yêu (Four Years, Two Boys and One Love), was released last Christmas and became a big hit.

The work focuses on the aspirations and difficulties faced by young women.

Vân said she believes “men and women are equal in art”, although she has faced some obstacles in the field.

“My family and friends have supported me to develop my career as a movie director,” she said. 

Khi Ta 16 is broadcast at 8pm every Saturday on HTV2.— VNS