Stop showing the movie 'The Third Wife' from May 21

An Nguyen• May 21, 2019 10:50

The distributor and production company will no longer show the work with "hot" scenes of the 13-year-old actor.

On the afternoon of May 20, the company Ba Sac Cau Vong - the production unit of The Third Wife - sent a request to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to stop showing the work due to public pressure. The film caused controversy because of sensitive scenes played by actress Tra My (born in 2004) when she was 13 years old. Her character (the third wife) has a wedding scene with her husband and an intimate scene with the second wife named Xuan (played by Maya).

"We don't want the story to go too far and affect the family and life of actress Tra My," said the producer.

A representative of CGV - the distributor - said the film was withdrawn from theaters from May 21. Previously, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested the Cinema Department to check the licensing of The Third Wife. The film, directed by Nguyen Phuong Anh, tells the story of a young woman named May who becomes a concubine in a wealthy family during the feudal period. The film is labeled C18 (not for audiences under 18 years old), and will be released from May 17.
Trà My trong cảnh về nhà chồng
Tra My in the scene of going to her husband's house

The production unit apologized to the actors, crew and audiences who loved the work, and affirmed that there was no violation of the law during the filming and distribution process. This unit said that when accepting to act in the film, actress Tra My signed the contract under the representation of her mother. In sensitive scenes, the crew took measures to protect Tra My, and her mother supervised.

Một cảnh của Trà My trong phim
A scene of Tra My in the movie.
Producer Tran Thi Bich Ngoc said: "The actors were not sexually assaulted and did not expose their sensitive parts on set. Before filming, the film's script was approved by the Cinema Department. Before the release date, the work was approved for screening according to regulations." This unit said it would continue with plans to release the film abroad.

The Third Wife made a splash at many international festivals before its domestic release. The film was shown in the US from May 15.


An Nguyen