Film director Nhue Giang talked to DTiNews about her disappointment in Vietnamese made-for-television films.

The main character of “Mother’s Soul”

According to Giang, Vietnamese television films do not depict an accurate picture of the country; they are filled with scenes in villas, plush bars and restaurants, while 80% of the population is still agrarian.

She also said, “Most of these films deal only with love and romance. I prefer those which deal with social issues. These ‘easy’ films often earn a bigger profit, I know that, but, I cannot change my nature. The films I produce have true feelings, such as ‘Mother’s Soul’.”

The film mentioned above is about the hardships of the children living under Long Bien Bridge.

Many long-time residents of Hanoi have never visited sand banks in the middle of Red River or under Long Bien Bridge itself, where families live in extremely difficult situations, without clean water or electricity, or even a decent chance to earn a living.

“I like working with children. It takes patience, but gives me a great amount of happiness. Watching a child play a role is very interesting,” she said.

Just as is the case in the film industry everywhere, funding is a major hurdle to getting any film made. The state grants VND3.9 billion (USD189,320) for a feature film project, but real costs can be closer to VND5-6 billion (USD242,718-USD291,262).

The director said that she was fortunate, because a French organisation gave a grant of VND2.7 billion (USD131,067) after reading the script for “Mother’s Soul”.

“I have seen some commercial films and honestly I am very disappointed at them. It is necessary to raise viewers’ awareness if we are to have better Vietnamese cinema. I feel ashamed at the current state of the film industry.”

Giang said that she may have difficulty finding distributors for her film, and that it might not be very marketable. But, she said, she made it as a way to reflect social realities.

Nhue Giang (right) directing