HCM CITY — Actress and film director Kim Khánh recently launched her new project, Hồn bướm (Butterfly Soul), a documentary on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in HCM City.  

The film is about three women, Jessica Nguyễn, Yến My and Nhã Ân, who face challenges in their careers and private lives after their gender-reassignment operations, still a sensitive topic in Việt Nam. 

It focuses on sex change and same-sex marriage rights in Việt Nam. The work also addresses the gap between laws protecting LGBT rights and public opinion towards people in the LGBT community.

Khánh and her staff worked with dozens of transgender people to feature their stories in Hồn Bướm.

The film was funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR/Emergency Plan) - a US governmental initiative to address global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from diseases.

Khánh began her movie career in 1991 after winning a top prize at a beauty contest in HCM City. She has performed in dozens of TV series and films by talented directors Châu Huế and Phi Tiến Sơn.

In 2003, she won the Mai Vàng (Golden Apricot) Prize for the Year’s Best Female Film Actress presented by the HCM City-based Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper. She worked as a theatre director for private theatres, drama clubs and TV stations.

Her first film, Hồn Bướm, will be in cinemas and produced by BHD, one of the country’s leading film producers and contributors, early next month. — VNS