Viet Nam News
By Phuong Mai
HCM CITY — The year 2017 saw the rise of young actresses on the big screen, proving their talent and impressing audiences.
Kaity Nguyen, an 18-year-old high school student, quickly rose to fame after playing a leading role in the teenage romantic comedy Em Chua 18 (Jailbait), a production of Chanh Phuong Film released in April.
Directed by Le Thanh Son, the film is a love story between a high school student Linh Dan and a playboy named Hoang (played by Kieu Minh Tuan).
“Linh Dan is my first role and my first step into the film industry,” said Kaity, who is famous on the internet as a beauty blogger with nearly 250,000 followers on her Facebook page and over 80,000 followers on Instagram.
“I learned so much from Son and my co-actors day by day during the filmmaking,” she said, adding that she and her character shared similar characteristics that helped her in the role.
Last month, Kaity won the Golden Lotus prize for best actress at the 20th Vietnamese Film Festival in Da Nang, while Em Chua 18 was named best feature film.
Moreover, the film became the highest-grossing Vietnamese movie to date, earning record revenue of VND171 billion (US$7.5 million).
When the movie’s project was announced in March, many people and media thought it was a risky project. They expressed doubts about Kaity because she was too young and has no experience in acting. They called her a “lucky girl”.
But she let her acting do the talking. “I worked so hard for the role. I want to prove that I’m an actress, not a lucky girl,” said Kaity.
Director Son said: “Kaity is a big surprise to me. She has acting ability and a professional attitude. She is smart, she listens and is hard-working. These advantages will help her acting career.”
Kaity was nominated for best actress for the 2017 Mai Vang (Golden Apricot) Awards given annually by Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) daily newspapers.
Her colleague, 26-year-old singer and actress Miu Le, was also nominated for the awards.
Le played a leading role in the film Co Gai Den Tu Hom Qua (The Girl from Yesterday), an adaptation from the novel of the same title by Nguyen Nhat Anh, a best-selling author in HCM City.
Directed by Phan Gia Nhat Linh, the film is about school, boys and girls, and their stories of love and compassion. The work earned VND50 billion ($2.2 million) after 10 days of its release.
“I invited young faces, especially Le, because it’s the best way to ensure my film’s characters strike a chord in teenagers and attract teenage audiences,” said Linh, adding that Le did the best work in his last film.
Last year, Le played a leading role in Linh’s film Em La Ba Noi Cua Anh (Sweet 20), a Vietnamese remake of the South Korean movie Miss Granny, which earned more than VND102 billion (US$4.5 million) in ticket sales.
She also sang one of the film’s soundtracks, Con Tuoi Nao Cho Em (Time for You), a love song composed by the late Trinh Cong Son, who was a well-known musician in Viet Nam.
“I am working hard to develop my acting and singing career,” said Le, who began her career in 2008 as a solo singer.
She performed in 10 movies, including box-office hits Thien Su 99 (The 99th Angel), Nha Co 5 Nang Tien (Five Fairies) and Nhung Thien Than Ao Trang (Angels in White). She also released more than 12 solo albums.
The Mai Vang Awards’ nomination also includes Nha Phuong, last year’s winner.
Phuong, 28, is a familiar face to audiences with her role in the TV series Tuoi Thanh Xuan (Forever Young) and Tuoi Thanh Xuan 2 (Forever Young 2), co-produced by VTV Film Centre and South Korea’s CJ E&M Pictures.
In 2017, she played in the movie Yeu Di, Dung So! (Kiss and Spell) by Los Angeles-based writer-director Stephane Gauger.
Gauger expressed good comments about Phuong’s professional attitude and acting skills.
“I must spend more time improving my acting skills. I’m doing my best to prove my talent and passion for film,” said Phuong, who has received several local and international prizes for her performances.
Film critic Ngo Ngoc Ngu Long commented that the “young actresses did best in 2017 and all deserved their awards. But I think Kaity has the best advantage because her role was cute and loved by audiences”.
The Mai Vang Awards ceremony will be held on January 18 in HCM City. — VNS