HCM CITY —  Vietnamese-American director Victor Vũ is working on his latest film on love, Mắt Biếc (Blue Eyes), together with his staff in HCM City.

The casting began last week. Young men and women aged between 16 and 22 years old are encouraged to attend.

Mắt Biếc tells the love story of Ngạn, a rural boy from Quảng Nam Province, and his childhood friend, Hà Lan, during their school years.    

When Lan turns to love a rich man but is betrayed, Ngạn still stands beside Lan.

The film is based on a novel of the same name written by bestselling children’s author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh.

The book Mắt Biếc was published in 1990 and became a bestseller. It has been reprinted several times by the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House.

Director Vũ is interested in filming Ánh’s works.

His first work based on Ánh’s book was Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (Yellow Flowers on Green Grass), winner of the Golden Lotus Award for Best Feature Film and Best Director at the biennial 19th Việt Nam Film Festival in 2015.

The prizes were presented by the cultural ministry’s Department of Cinematography.

The film also won the Best Film Award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Fujian Province, China.

It was distributed abroad by Fortissimo Films Hong Kong.

In Việt Nam, the film earned around VNĐ80 billion (US$3.59 million) in ticket sales.

Vũ is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in the US. His first film in Việt Nam, Chuyện Tình Xa Xứ (Passport to Love), was distributed in Việt Nam and the US in 2008.

The romantic comedy was named Favourite Film at the 2008 Golden Kite Award given by the Việt Nam Cinematography Association.

In 2012, his third film, Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng (Blood Letter), a kung fu production, won the Jury Prize at the International Film Festival in Hà Nội.

One year later, his Bí Mật Thảm Đỏ (Scandal), a work about the dark side of show business, received the Golden Kite Prize for Best Director.

Both films were box office records. 

In 2014, his horror film Quả Tim Máu (Vengeful Heart) starring famous comedian Thái Hòa earned more than VNĐ24 billion (US$1.1 million) in just three days after its release.     

His latest film, Người Bất Tử (The Immortal), was released last week.

The thriller includes scenes featuring beautiful landscapes in Hà Nội, and Hà Nam, Hưng Yên, Quảng Bình, Tiền Giang and Đồng Nai provinces. 

It stars Quách Ngọc Ngoan of HCM City and Bùi Bài Bình of Hà Nội.

The film is expected to break box-office records.  

“I learned a lot about Việt Nam’s history, traditional culture and lifestyle,” said Vũ, adding that he expects to have a future in Viet Nam.

His film Mắt Biếc is produced by Galaxy Studio, the country’s leading private film company.

It will be completed late next year. — VNS