Bui Huy Thuan, Director of Dan Troi, a film on anti-corruption, spoke to DTiNews about the challenges faced during the making the film.
The corrupt provincial chairman played by People’s Artist Hoang Dung
Dan Troi was shot in 2011. Writer Pham Ngoc Tien adapted it from the novel of the same name written by Cao Duy Son. The film feature the dangerous challenges faced by TV reporters in an unnamed province. The central characters include a degenerate provincial chairman, a corrupt TV station director, and cunning businessmen.
Director Bui Huy Thuan portrayed the corrupt officials spending public funds to satisfy their private greed. These provincial chairmen bribed higher governmental officers to be promoted, and then in turn abuse their positions to line their own pockets through a lavish lifestyle.
Films on corrupt governmental officers can face many problems, so Director Bui Huy Thuan had to strain every nerve to find the safest solution for his film.
Firstly it couldn’t be based on any real person or location.
Screenwriter Pham Ngoc Tien created the fictitious province of Binh Lang. Director Bui Huy Thuan had to visit the Vietnam Road Administration to ensure the number plates used by vehicles in the story did not match any of Vietnam’s 63 administrative bodies.
Director Do Thanh Hai, Production Manager of Dan Troi shared, “When watching, viewers may wonder which province could have such diverse terrain. Our crew had to film in many provinces, and we constantly moved and changed locations. TV viewers watching this film will realize that Binh Lang Province has stilted houses, mountains, highways and luxury office buildings. There is no such province in Vietnam, and it’s our intention, so nobody can claim we’re basing the story on a real place.”
People’s artist Hoang Dung played a corrupt provincial chairman. He said, “When I watch Chinese anti-corruption films, I dreamed of acting in such films one day. After reading Dan Troi’s film script, I accepted the role immediately. The provincial chairman has all kinds of negative aspects to his character. I like to play such roles. I wanted to play the role as it’s an ideal way of exposing corruption. There are so many negatives in our society!”
After having found a suitable actor, the crew still faced other obstacles. “No provincial chairman would let a crew make film about anti-corruption work using his office as a location”. The crew had to struggle to find a suitable space and constantly changed filming locations.
“When we found a good location the actors whispered their lines to each other, as if the owner of the establishment where we were filming could hear the dialogue, they’d probably have thrown us out. We will dub the lines again in studio later”, Hoang Dung shared.
Screenwriters Pham Ngoc Tien said, “TV producers and journalists have the same task. We not only to provide the news but we also have to struggle against negative aspects in society. That is a dangerous struggle, but we need to be brave.”
When asked whether by clouding the location of the film took some realism away from movie, Director Bui Huy Thuan said, “We didn’t direct ourselves at any particular person or place, but when watching our film, many people will find themselves in it.”
