OV director’s latest film shows country’s most beautiful spots

When blockbuster film Nguoi Bat Tu (The Immortal), directed by Victor Vu, set to open on October 26, viewers will take in a dark story that spans three centuries – as well as some of the country’s most beautiful scenery.
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - When blockbuster film Nguoi Bat Tu (TheImmortal), directed by Victor Vu, set to open on October 26, viewers will takein a dark story that spans three centuries – as well as some of the country’smost beautiful scenery.  

Vu believes that one of the reasons the film will be successful is its use ofstunning scenery.

OV director’s latest film shows country’s most beautiful spots ảnh 1The poster of the film reveals the beauty of Tu Lan Cave (Photo courtesy of CJ)

The film tells the story of Hung, who holds the secret of the eternal life.

Hung’s tumultuous life reveals a story filled with ambition, vengeance and darkmagic.

To portray the life spanning three centuries, Vu and the film crew had to finddifferent places to fit the story.

Audience will not only enjoy a romantic and thrilling film, they also join atour throughout the country, with beautiful scenes in Hanoi, Ha Nam, Hung Yen,Quang Binh, HCM City, Tien Giang, and Dong Nai.

The scenes vary in terrain, from the delta, grasslands, valleys and hills toforests, caves, sea and the highest mountain peaks.

The central province of Quang Binh was once home to the setof Kong: Skull Island. This is the first film, however, inwhich the film crew passed the impenetrable blackness that cloaks the beautyinside the cave system. They captured the allure that can’t be described inwords, said Vu.

“Seventy percent of the scenes were filmed in the caves and mountains in PhongNha, Tu Lan, Bo Trach and Dong Hoi,” he said.

The land is known for its pristine beauty, which hasn’t been exploited byhumans. But producing it was also full of obstacles.

The ten days of shooting at Tu Lan Cave in Quang Binh was thehardest time for the crew, according to producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc.

Due to the difficult terrain, more than 100 people with heavy equipment neededthe support of porters to complete the mission.

“We started a working day at 3.30am and ended at 10pm,” said Ngoc.

“It took much time to move and transport the devices. After one and a halfhours travelling by car, we spent two hours walking in the forest, climbing upto the mountain and swimming in a stream to access the caves.”

Beyond the terrain, the cruel weather in Quang Binh was also abig challenge to the film crew.

“The shooting was often interrupted due to the weather, with sudden rains,scorching sun and dry winds”, said Ngoc.

“Sometimes the heavy rain raised the stream’s water level that we couldn’tenter the cave and sometimes we had to wait for hours for the rain to stop.”

Director Vu said he has always been charmed and thrilled in front of thebeautiful scenery of the country. He always kept in his memory the landscapesof the places he visited, as he believed that one day, they could be idealbackgrounds for his films.

“The Immortal is the first film in which I felt free to introduce thescenic spots of the country,” said Vu.

The filmmakers said that they overcame many limits to complete the film. Afterthe hard work, they felt delighted when watching the film, the sweet fruit oftheir labour.

As the life of Hung spreads over three centuries, the film crew also had tofind suitable contexts and design the background to fit different historicalperiods, said Vu.

The crew also depicted cultural heritage by shooting at old villages of Cuu (PhuXuyen district, Hanoi) and Nom (Hung Yen) as well as French-style villasin the Mekong Delta.

Audiences will understand the life and culture of Vietnamese people underfeudalism, the colonial regime and in modern times.

Cultural elements like traditional customs, lifestyles, architecture, music andcostumes will also be showcased.

In the role of a songstress, Jun Vu sings sweetly and beats bamboo castanetsin hat a dao (ceremonial singing).

Victor Vu is a director and writer, known for his Yellow Flowers on theGreen Grass (2015), Scandal (2012) and Qua Tim Mau (VengefulHeart, 2014).

While the film Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass lured more touriststo Phu Yen province where the film was shot, Victor Vuexpected that The Immortal will do it better in promoting nationaltourism.

The official trailer of The Immortal, released in June, has impressedaudiences with the wonderful scenery in Quang Binh and bold mysterious colours.It also raises a series of questions for the audience about the supernatural.

The film stars Quach Ngoc Ngoan, Dinh Ngoc Diep and Jun Vu as the main actorand actresses; and Cuong Seven and Francois Negret as villains. Veteran actor BuiBai Binh and actresses Chieu Xuan and Kim Xuan also join the film.-VNS/VNA
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