Nguyen Hoang Diep hit the spotlight at age 23 when her graduation work, The Fifth Season, from the Ha Noi Theatre and Cinematography College, was one of several chosen out of 2,100 contenders being screened at the Rio de Janeiro Short Film Festival in 2005. She is now well regarded for her films for teenagers, such as Chit va Pi (Chit and Pi) and Bo Tu 10A8 (Four Friends at Class 10A8).
She talks about her passion.
You are planning another film for teenagers. What are the specific challenges in this genre?
I would like to say a lot but I have to censor myself because sometimes audiences do not agree with all what we feature. I'm not worried about my main audiences – the teenagers – but some parents and producers, they don't agree with me, not because my story is not interesting enough but because they doubt its educational value.
They fear the story may have negative affects on their children. They may say: "That's a little sensitive" or "No one would act like that."
It means they doubt the way you entertain children?
Yes, that's so sad. I have struggled with producers over my way of entertaining children. I want to be fresh.
Children are creative and active. They can draw their own conclusions and recognise other people's mistakes which they then know to avoid.
When I talk to children, I find they are more clever than we might think. They are smart enough to know which films are interesting, which roles are good, and which they should not imitate.
I have a very intelligent audience, I can't teach them much. And they have high expectations for interesting, creative and persuasive themes in my films. If the films are not persuasive, they will not like them.
I hope to keep fresh and not to be influenced by people who think I need to put certain lessons into my films.
What about the age gap between you and your audience?
It's no hindrance. The secret is to know how to be a friend to the teenagers, to be ready to chat, laugh and cry with teenagers. And vice versa, the teenagers should trust directors enough to be able to pour out their hearts.
Listening to teenagers, I realise that they are what I used to be. They sneak open books during tests, they skip sports lessons... That's why I share a lot with them in feelings, actions and moments. Maybe when I am 50, I will be different. But I think I will always get along well with teenagers. — VNS