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From the moment the trailer was released, "Cám" (The Story of Cám) attracted a lot of attention from the audience, thanks to its cast and the terrifying behind-the-scenes footage. The film crew of the horror adaptation of Tấm Cám released the first behind-the-scenes video, revealing their journey of exploring diverse versions of Tấm Cám to create a new and unique horror adaptation for Vietnamese audiences in the near future. Through this, the producers of "Con Cám" officially announced the new title of the project as "Cám" and revealed the specific release date: September 27, 2024.
Folk materials are revitalized with "horror".
Speaking about the film project "Cam," director Tran Huu Tan said: “Besides being one of the stories with the most variations worldwide, the Vietnamese version of Tam Cam also contains many details with great potential for a horror version. This was our first major source of inspiration as storytellers. We have all heard of the details of revenge: washing hair, draining shrimp, chopping betel nuts, making fish sauce… in most versions, but we haven't had the opportunity to delve deeper into the story, the characters, and the events that drive them to happen.”
If you're already familiar with the story of Tam Cam as told in Ngo Thanh Van's film, then you'll surely be amazed by the hauntingly terrifying "Con Cam" version.
To ensure "Cám" is more than just a retelling of the Tấm Cám story, director Trần Hữu Tấn and the Hoàng Quân production team aim to explore the dark, mysterious aspects of the story and deliver a unique horror experience, especially for younger audiences, through meticulous investment in the characters, a distinctly Vietnamese horror world with impressive settings, and a cast with convincing performances.
In the recently revealed poster and trailer, viewers are most likely to notice and pay attention to the deformed appearance and distorted facial features of the character Cám, along with the horrifying details of her dark magic.
As a cinematic adaptation of the fairy tale "Tam Cam," the film "Cam" retains classic details that leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Where there's Tam and Cam, there must be a slipper fitting ceremony and the shape of the slipper. The golden slipper with the golden oriole motif – a symbol associated with Tam in the fairy tale, the token of love between the prince and Tam – reappears, but in a dark and eerie setting. The image of a blood-stained foot trying to squeeze into the slipper sends shivers down the viewer's spine. Could this be a staged act behind the opulent facade of the royal palace?
The symbolic object symbolizing love and a happy marriage has now become a "terrifying nightmare" for viewers.
In stark contrast to the rustic and authentic rural beauty at the beginning of the trailer, the story in Huong Village suddenly takes a chilling turn after the sisters Tam and Cam utter the words "bong bong bang bang." Everything that happens to the village and the series of events that befall the village headman's house are sinister and cruel, far different from what people remember about the fairy tale of Tam and Cam.
From the very first frames, the unusual and deformed appearance of Cam (Lam Thanh My) is revealed to be the source of the entire family tragedy of village headman Hai Hoang (Quoc Cuong). For Mr. Ca Huong (Mai The Hiep) - the grandfather of Tam Cam - it is a disgrace to the entire family lineage.
Furthermore, the most striking new aspect is the sisterly relationship between Tam and Cam, which is not at all antagonistic but rather deeply loving. Tam (Rima Thanh Vy), beautiful and kind-hearted, is always close to and protects her younger sister Cam, who is insecure and often has to hide half of her disfigured face to avoid gossip.
The well with the goby fish, the rice grains, the persimmon fruit... every detail from the fairy tale of Tam Cam is strangely recreated in the film. The stepmother, with her gentle appearance, harbors sinister schemes. The biological father, once the pillar of the family, now becomes a victim of dark forces. And what happened during the virgin sacrifice ceremony that caused Mr. Hai Hoang, a respected figure in the village, to participate? All these questions await the audience's discovery.
The production team also revealed the day the stepmother harbored resentment upon giving birth to a child cursed by fate. The day Cam was born also foreshadowed a series of misfortunes, like a dark cloud gathering. Furthermore, a series of grotesque details such as demonic claws, a red-faced, three-eyed demon, Cam's face suddenly covered in blood, skinned corpses, blood-stained hands clutching maggot-infested rice, and sacrificial offerings to the girl… demonstrate the level of horror and darkness in this film adaptation of Vietnamese folklore.
Unlike the retelling of the story in director Ngo Thanh Van's "Tam Cam: The Untold Story" years ago, "Con Cam" will be a horror version with a strong, haunting vibe, accompanied by the familiar "bong bong bang bang" folk song.
To deliver a quality experience, investing in finding the right locations is crucial. Director Tran Huu Tan and his team discovered fresh, storytelling locations that suited the film's eerie atmosphere and enhanced its unique appeal to the audience. Therefore, in their search for locations, the "Cam" team chose Quang Tri as the primary filming location, aiming to provide the first cinematic experience of this region, blessed with many new and unique natural beauties – perfectly suited to the fantasy-horror, historical setting of "Cam".
"Cam" is a film project made by the team behind "Tet in Hell Village" and "The Soul Eater," directed by Tran Huu Tan and produced by Hoang Quan. "Cam" is a bloody horror adaptation of the famous fairy tale Tam Cam, scheduled for release on September 27, 2024.
