HCM CITY —  A film on teen love, adapted from a novel by best-selling children’s author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh, will begin shooting this summer in HCM City. 

The production Ngồi Khóc Trên Cây (Crying on the Tree) is about the romantic relationship between Đông, a second-year university student, and the 14-year-old Rùa who suffers from a serious disease.   

It is based on the book of the same name written by Ánh, who has released more than 100 books of different types.

Published in 2013 by Trẻ Publishing House, the book Ngồi Khóc Trên Cây has sold more than 100,000 copies. 

Film producer Chung Minh and Velo Entertainment, a private film company in HCM City, signed a copyright agreement with the publisher and writer Ánh. 

“I’m very interested in reading Ánh’s books because his works feature life and love through the eyes of young characters,” said film producer Minh in an interview with local media before filming.

“Our film will use 3D effects to entertain young audiences. After watching, audiences will gain lessons on finding ways to discover the world, love, and people,” he said.  

The casting will begin in June, and the film’s first scenes will be shot in September.  

Ngồi Khóc Trên Cây will be in cinemas next summer. 

Veteran writer Ánh began writing in 1984 and is known for his simple style and accurate depiction of children’s minds.

In 2007, Ánh’s Cho Tôi Xin Một Vé Đi Tuổi Thơ (Give Me a Ticket Back to Childhood) made a record by selling more than 20,000 copies in the first weeks of its release.

The book won the Southeast Asian Writers Award presented by the Thai royal family in 2010. 

The book has been translated into Thai and published by Thailand-based publisher, Nanmee Books.

Ánh has presented four of his best-selling kid books to students of Nguyễn Đình Chiều School for the Blind.

These books, Cho Tôi Xin Một Vé Đi Tuổi Thơ, Mắt Biếc (Blue Eyes), Bảy Bước Tới Mùa Hè (Seven Steps to Summer) and Ngày Xưa Có Một Chuyện Tình (The Past Love Story), will be produced in Braille by the school’s teachers.

Ánh’s two novels, Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (I Saw Yellow Flowers on Green Glass) and Cô Gái Đến Từ Hôm Qua (The Girl from Tomorrow), were adapted for film by HCM City film producers in 2014 and 2016. — VNS