Viet Nam News
HCM CITY — After five years of working in the theatre, director Le Hoang has completed his latest film project on child sexual abuse, which is expected to be released in HCM City this summer.
The 100-minute film, S.O.S. Soi Trang (S.O.S. White Wolf), focuses on the tragedies of children who were victims of child molestation.
Hoang told the local media that he had decided to make a film about a sensitive subject because he thought it was “a hot-button issue after a number of molestations were reported on social platforms recently”.
“I believe those who are silent about sexual abuse of children support the crime,” he said. “We have failed to act. We chose to stay silent, a behaviour which comes from traditional culture: fear of talking about sex. As a result, no offenders have been punished.”
Hoang said he worked hard on the film’s screenplay.
The director and his producer, Bo Thuy Linh, have kept their film a secret from the media, but they have promised it will provide lessons about a serious issue that many youth know little about.
“We hope our production will bring evil deeds to light,” said Hoang, who has more than 20 years of experience in the industry.
"I think the film will be a hit phenomenon with both teenagers and adults because the film is about something we want to talk about,” said Nguyen Vu Quynh Chi, a 10th-grade student from Binh Thanh District.
“I watched the teaser trailer of Hoang’s film online. It left a very strong impression on viewers,” she added.
Chi said that Hoang should tailor the film to children and teenagers, who must be equipped with enough information about sexual harassment to know how to protect themselves.
In the 1980s and 90s, Hoang worked for the Giai Phong (Liberation) Film Studio, one of the region’s leading State-owned film companies.
He reached fame with dozens of quality films, including award-winning works Luong Tam Be Bong (Little Conscience) and Luoi Dao (The Knife) presented by the Viet Nam Cinematography Department.
In 2001, his blockbuster, Gai Nhay (Bar Girl) earned more than VND12 billion (US$660,000 at that time), which launched the commercial film-making trend in Viet Nam.
Post-production of S.O.S Soi Trang will be completed this week.
Distributed by Thien Ngan (Galaxy), the film will be in cinemas on June 16. — VNS