Director reveals interesting information about the movie 'May 11th'

Hello Le Do Ngoc Linh! How did the project "May 11th" come to you?

- I have been fortunate to work at VFC since 2014. In mid-2020, I started working on the project "May 11" (originally titled "What I Don't Know"). Editor Lai Phuong Thao and I built the idea together with great support from seniors at VFC. The initial idea was quite rough, originating from Thao and I's thoughts and gradually took shape. Up to this point, we are all very satisfied with the content we put into the film.

Director Le Do Ngoc Linh.

Knowing that this is Linh's first film, you must have put a lot of effort into creating it. What pressures did you face during the filming process?

- Perhaps any filmmaker always waits and longs for the moment when they have the opportunity to make their first product. I am no exception to that feeling. But because it is their first product, there is a lot of pressure, both objective and subjective.

As a young director with my first work, I cannot avoid making immature mistakes and lack of experience. I encountered many difficulties in every step, from the script, production preparation... or simply overcoming my own limits. Many times I thought I had to give up, but at that moment I received encouragement "Don't worry, I was like you in the past, it's okay, just keep going, persevere, and make an effort!"...

At VFC, we consider each other as family. I am just a "chip" - a junior who needs to be guided and supported, so I have been wholeheartedly supported by my seniors in VFC right from the beginning. The most important thing they taught me is passion for the profession, meticulousness and wholehearted love for my products. And after more than a year, with the support and help of my seniors and colleagues, I have finally brought "May 11" to the audience.

The film is the debut work of director Le Do Ngoc Linh.

"May 11th" is currently among the highest rated programs in the country. According to Linh, what important criteria should a youth-oriented film have?

- With the strict working process and very high requirements of VFC, every script put into production must be evaluated as a good script, with the expectation of being transformed into a good film. I myself also expect and try very hard to make it come true. However, when receiving supportive comments from the audience, or knowing that the film has such a high rating, I am still surprised and excited.

In fact, there is no shortage of films about youth and they are always welcomed. Because each generation has different impressions, different thoughts, different feelings about life. Therefore, my point of view on youth films must first of all be contemporary. Contemporary must be expressed through every small detail, to the trend of perceiving images or music... then the film can hope to touch the emotions of the audience.

"May 11th" makes an impression when it reminds the audience of youthful, happy times.

Are there any images or stories from Linh's youth that are included in this film?

- I won't reveal any specific details, but as I said above, I always want to incorporate contemporary elements into youth films. Therefore, the film not only has my image and that of my editor, but also perhaps the image of all my friends and the early 9x generation.

One of the interesting points of "May 11th" that is highly appreciated by the audience is the soundtrack. Can the director share about the musical ideas in the film?

- Music is also a way to convey the emotions of the film to the audience. Right from the beginning of pre-production, Nguyen Duc Hieu and I - co-director, always discussed the music for the film. That made us excited and I believe the audience will be the same. Another lucky thing is that I have received a lot of support from my familiar singers and musicians to be able to approach and find songs suitable for the film. One of my criteria in mixing the music for this film is that each episode must have something "special" for the audience to feel.

Besides the young cast, the film also brings together many veteran artists.

The film crew, including the director, DOP, screenwriter… are all quite young, but they work with a cast of older faces such as People’s Artist Ngoc Lan, People’s Artist Manh Cuong, artists Quang Thang, Van Dung. The young faces are also collaborating together for the first time in a film. What advantages and disadvantages does that bring?

- It is true that there is always a fear of harmony between a young crew and a veteran cast. However, that did not happen at all with the "May 11th" crew. We were lucky to work with actors who were extremely respectful of new creations, even those that were somewhat different from the views of their elders. The older actors were even close and shared very sincerely to help us complete the film in the best way.

Thanks for sharing director Le Do Ngoc Linh!