A 10-minute clip featuring a story of a mother and her son has attracted thousands of hits and positive comments on local internet forums.

A scene in the clip 

The video is entitled ‘Buoc chan’ or Footstep, and was produced by six students from HCM City University of Economics.

The main character is named Quan, the teenage son, was born in a wealthy but unhappy with his family life. After his father died, he grew up to be lazy and aloof, with no direction in life.

One day, while stealing money from his mother’s wardrobe, Quan discovered his mother’s medical records, which revealed that she had a serious illness. He ran straight to the doctor who had treated her, only to be told that she had a very short time to live.

Quan immediately grew repentant, and realised that he had been missing out on one of the most important relationships he could ever have - with his mother.

The experience was Quan's turning point, and from then on he turned his life around, doing everything he could to please his mother.

Le Duc Long Quan, who played the main character, said that they made the clip as a present their mothers for Mother’s Day.

“We wanted to express through video that, although we may all be following separate roads, the most important thing to keep in mind is that we take care of our family, especially mothers," he said.

The group of students used only a digital camera and a laptop 

Another member of the group, Pham Mai Nhu Thao said, “We would like to tell young people that they should show their love to their moms before it is too late.”