2017 and the Vietnamese cinema season for women

It's not hard to see that the typical films on Vietnamese screens last year were all works with strong feminine colors: 'Em chua 18', 'Co Ba Sai Gon', 'Mem chong'...

2017 marked many beautiful milestones for women in most of the world's film arenas. The prestigious Cannes Film Festival named Sofia Coppola as the Best Director. The independent Sundance Film Festival gathered 34% of the total competing films directed by women. The MTV Movie & TV Awards dedicated 4 out of 7 artist categories to women. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, 'Wonder Woman' won big in the summer movie season and 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' had many important female roles.

Vietnamese cinema last year was remembered for its feminine-themed films.

Whether it is keeping up with the global feminist trend of the silver screen, or simply a coincidence, Vietnamese cinema in the past year has also seen a clear rise in films with a feminine vibe and representative faces of women.

Movies for women

It's not hard to see that the typical films on Vietnamese screens last year were all works with strong feminine colors: 'Em chua 18', 'Co Ba Sai Gon', 'Mem chong'...

Right from the title, these films have directed the film's plot towards the female roles, bringing the audience to the film's story of Vietnamese women. Only 'My Girlfriend is the Boss' and 'The Girl from Yesterday' are not placed in this group. Because not exactly like the title of the film, 'My Girlfriend is the Boss' depicts the couple Miu Le - Do An in parallel in the film's love story, while 'The Girl from Yesterday' focuses mainly on the male lead played by Ngo Kien Huy.

From a script perspective, Vietnamese cinema in 2017 brought many interesting stories in a space where women played a key role and had a dominant voice. The film was told from their perspective, through them. And they were the ones who led the development and created the plot.

Director Hong Anh and the crew of 'Immigrant Island' at the film premiere party.

'I'm Not 18 Yet' is a journey of growing up of a high school girl, embedded in a love game designed by her. 'Miss Saigon' depicts a world of beautiful fantasies and aspirations of women - a place where men are almost absent. Meanwhile, with 'Mother-in-law', viewers are drawn into the battle of power and desire between women's calculations, and it continues to be a place where men only play a secondary role.

Although not as excellent in both revenue and comments as the three works above, 'Beauty and the Beast' is also a film that focuses on feminine themes, with two important female roles played by Minh Hang and Phuong Trinh Jolie.

Although they all deeply explore the topic of femininity, these films are very diverse and do not overlap, whether in the context of the era or the character image. 'Em chua 18' takes place in contemporary society, with the female lead Linh Dan (played by Kaity Nguyen) being a lovely but sophisticated and cunning high school girl. 'Co Ba Sai Gon' is set in pre-1975 Saigon with the female lead Nhu Y (played by Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc) being arrogant and stubborn. 'Mother-in-law' brings about the fate of women who have been pushed by the post-feudal times to become ambitious and cruel...

When women make movies

While men have been somewhat quieter, the "beautiful ladies" and "big sisters" of Vietnamese cinema have asserted their personal voices decisively and convincingly over the past year.

In the first months of the year, domestic and international press competed to mention Hong Anh's name, but not in the role of actress or producer, but in the role of director, associated with her first work - 'Island of the Immigrants'. Although it received mixed reviews in Vietnam, the prestigious awards that the film reaped abroad once again affirmed Hong Anh's talent and sharpness in filmmaking.

In the commercial film segment, Ngo Thanh Van became a name that dominated the media in the last months of the year. 'Co Ba Sai Gon' - the latest work she produced, although not highly appreciated for its script, won a lot of sympathy for its design and staging. In particular, the methodical communication strategy of this project is further proof of Ngo Thanh Van's skillful hand in the profession.

The moment Ngo Thanh Van made an impressive appearance in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

Not stopping there, Van Ngo once again made a beautiful mark in her career journey with the recently released blockbuster 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'. Although she only played a small role for about a minute, the Vietnamese girl was praised by many domestic and foreign newspapers as "playing an important role in the film".

Not covered in the halo like the two seniors in the profession, Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc, Dien My 9x or Miu Le also received worthy recognition in the past year 2017.

Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc continues to affirm her title as a talented and beautiful Vietnamese screen goddess with a flexible acting style in terms of body, emotion and dialogue, through a key role in a film with an almost all-female cast.

Also in 'Co Ba Sai Gon', Diem My 9x, although having a more modest role, attracted a lot of attention because of her transformation in both fashionista image and cold, arrogant personality, especially her natural and well-rounded acting style.

After playing the emotional yet eccentric female lead in 'My Girlfriend is the Boss' earlier this year, Miu Le became the "muse" in 'The Girl from Yesterday' at the end of the summer movie season. The 26-year-old actress has increasingly proven her versatile acting talent.

Lan Ngoc and Diem My 9x each have their own style in 'Miss Saigon'

The youngest but also the most impressive is Kaity Nguyen of 'Em chua 18'. With a lovely face and colorful acting, the 18-year-old actress was unexpectedly named for the title of Best Actress at the 2017 Vietnam Film Festival, becoming the youngest Best Actress in the history of the festival.

Miu Le increasingly proves her acting ability.

Miu Le increasingly proves her acting ability.

2017 has ended, but the echoes of feminine films with female filmmakers and actresses still resonate with beauty. Perhaps, this feminine trend of Vietnamese cinema will continue to spread, with many similar films in the coming year such as 'My First Love' (Vietnamese version of 'She Was Pretty'), 'Glorious Years' (Vietnamese version of 'Sunny'), 'Love You Regardless' (Vietnamese version of 'My Sassy Girl')...

According to VNN