Vietnamese film 'Hai Phuong' to complete at Oscar's preliminary round

ABO/NDO – Vietnamese action movie “Hai Phuong”, also known as “Furie”, has been selected by the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as the Vietnamese representative for the preliminary round of the Best International Film award at the Oscars 2020.

A scene from the film ‘Hai Phuong’

The Vietnam Cinema Department had received an invitation from the academy in July and formed a board to choose a Vietnamese movie released between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019. Furie won the most votes from the selection board.

Furie, directed by Le Van Kiet, tells the story of a former gang leader in the Mekong Delta whose daughter is kidnapped. The fighting fit mother embarks on a journey to rescue her daughter.

The action scenes are well shot, and Ngo Thanh Van, also known as Veronica Ngo, who is both the producer and leading actor in the movie, has won praise for her performance.

The movie quickly became a hit in Vietnam after it premiered last February. It was also shown in several cinemas in the US and China, and competed at the Osaka Asian Film Festival this year.

This is the 2nd consecutive year a movie produced by Ngo Thanh Van was sent to the Oscars. Last year, "Co ba Sai Gon" (The Tailor), by directors Tran Buu Loc and Kay Nguyen, was entered in the Academy Awards but failed to make it past the first round.

(Source: NDO)