Actor Quoc Tuan and his "battle" to save his child's life.

The actor from the film "The Village Headman's Trumpeter" went through extremely difficult years fighting his son's illness, and at times he was almost in despair.

Actor Quoc Tuan has been absent from the screen for nearly 10 years, since his last role in the film "Law of Life" directed by Mai Hong Phong, which aired in 2007. At over 50 years old, the actor's face and hands show the marks of worry and hardship. But his spirit seems much more relaxed and at ease.

Quoc Tuan happily showed off his open-plan apartment, which he recently moved into. The apartment is simple but neat, airy, with a dedicated space for his son and another for his hobbies. The artist enthusiastically displayed his sound system, which he invested in for listening to music, with Chopin and Schubert records on the shelves.

Actor Quoc Tuan.

"I've been too noisy for too long. Now it's time to calm down, find space for myself, and enjoy my own life. I like listening to Jazz and Country music. In the evening, sitting alone, turning on the music and letting the melodies soak into me, I feel very happy and peaceful," he said.

Quoc Tuan uses music as a source of motivation to overcome life's difficulties. For over 10 years, he has been tirelessly traveling both domestically and internationally to seek treatment for his son. Bom (Nguyen Anh Tuan) was born with a rare disease in 2002. "That was the most painful time of my life. I felt my son had no future, I couldn't imagine what his life would be like. And I always felt guilty for giving birth to him without giving him a healthy body and good health."

Realizing he couldn't just sit idly by and accept his fate, Quoc Tuan began to "fight" to save his son's life. Looking back on those years, he said: "No one has suffered as much as I have. Up to this point, I can say that my life has gone through the most terrible times. Many times I just wished I could close my eyes and when I opened them again, I wouldn't be myself. But I'm not the type to be melancholic or complain, and I always smile, so no one knew about those things. It wasn't until my son's surgery was 80% successful that many relatives found out."

After numerous surgeries, Bom, now 14 years old, is in 7th grade. Quoc Tuan says his son's health is quite stable, although he still needs to undergo a few more surgeries to complete his recovery. He spends a lot of time with his son. In the mornings, he takes him to school, picks him up in the afternoons, and then they go to the gym together. In the evenings, after his son finishes his homework, he teaches him to play the piano or talks to him and puts him to sleep.

"I teach my child how to live confidently and happily. I want her to be close to her father because that will make her stronger and fearless. Because if she's always afraid and worried, she'll withdraw and won't dare to do anything. And I show her that she can trust her father. We connect like two friends. Sometimes we confide in each other. I'm only afraid that she'll grow up without being close to me, and when she faces difficulties, she won't know who to share them with."

According to Quoc Tuan, his son has absorbed the strong, optimistic spirit he hoped for. He is happy that his son was able to put on the surgical gown by himself the last time he underwent surgery. "At that time, I felt he was incredibly resilient, and I felt so much love for him." He is also happy that Bom is a good boy who loves music.

His son's illness was partly the reason Quoc Tuan gradually withdrew from his acting career. As his son's condition improved, Quoc Tuan should have returned to acting, but he remained absent from the screen. Quoc Tuan joked that perhaps since he went back to school and shifted his focus to directing, other directors have been hesitant to invite him to act in films. After this joke, the actor pointed out his concerns about the state of the film industry in general and his own personal difficulties.

According to Quoc Tuan, the current art scene is mainly vibrant in the South with highly commercialized products. "It's extremely sad for performing artists in the North, even singers. Despite receiving good training and having a very good professional environment, we often wonder why the profession is so disheartening compared to the South. And each place has its own unique way of working; not everyone can break into the South."

Furthermore, according to Quoc Tuan, the Vietnam Feature Film Studio where he works is almost paralyzed. "The studio lacks a development strategy and its operations are very stagnant. Almost all artists only receive 75% of their basic salary. While the film industry is developing, ours is shrinking. This is a huge waste for a film studio with a large team and decent equipment," Quoc Tuan said.

Quoc Tuan pays close attention to his personal musical preferences.

He believes that an artist's life is only vibrant and exciting when they're making films. When they're not making films, they're like unemployed people. And when they're not making films, their skills and talent diminish, their enthusiasm fades, and they lose their quick wit and responsiveness to life. "That's very dangerous. If we're not careful, the films we make will have a dark, pessimistic feel, lacking bright colors," he said.

To make a living, artists like Quoc Tuan have to be self-reliant, seeking jobs less directly related to their profession. Quoc Tuan shared that there are jobs he has to do just to earn a living, but they are very disheartening. "Anything that earns money through ability is worthy of respect. But those jobs require very little expertise and are more commercial in nature. For example, many friends invite me to use my face to build credibility for business. It would be fine if it were a side job. But because I can't make films and have to choose, it becomes my main job. Not to mention, my face gets dull from all the polishing," Quoc Tuan said.

Refusing to sit idly by, Quoc Tuan returned, not as an actor, but as a director, with the film "Proud Heart," which aired in 2013. He wrote the script himself, found investors to produce the film, and marketed it to the television station.

Quoc Tuan shared that the topic was entirely centered around sports (sepak takraw), from which he addressed larger issues in life. "When people have passion, they will find their path. Along that path, there are many obstacles and pitfalls. Some people reach the pinnacle of glory but stumble because of the struggle for survival. Some people don't fully utilize their talents and resort to underhanded tactics to achieve success. I want to send a message to young people: live by your own abilities, don't be scheming or manipulative for money."

Quoc Tuan wanted to continue the story about the characters' lives after they got together, got married, and what happened afterward. However, having to handle everything himself, he didn't have the resources to continue.

The artist expressed that one of the things he notices in current scripts is that they don't deeply reflect the essence of contemporary human life. He remains passionate about making films about the lives of characters from their humble beginnings to their success, how they rise to the top, how the flow of life forces people to stumble, how they endure hardships to become wealthy, or the anxieties and conflicts in their married and family lives. These aspects, perhaps, stem from his own experiences and lessons learned from his own life.

According to VnExpress