This is his third film and was successfully selected to participate in the Feature Film category at the 7th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF VII), and was also the film chosen to open the event. "Once upon a time there was a love story" not only marked a turning point in the director's career, but also a story that evokes the deepest emotions of youth.
Director Trinh Dinh Le Minh and writer Nguyen Nhat Anh
Reminiscences of First Loves
"Once upon a time there was a love story" revolves around a love triangle between three main characters: Mien, Vinh and Phuc. They grew up together, bonded by beautiful childhood memories. The film skillfully guides the audience through the sweet and painful moments of first love. Although it is a love triangle, the director has kept the innocence and peace inherent in the original story, avoiding tense and dramatic details.
"Once upon a time there was a love story" revolves around a love triangle between three main characters: Mien, Vinh and Phuc
The audience following the story could not help but be moved by the fate of each character. Mien and Vinh had a happy ending, but Phuc's journey was a separation that lasted from childhood to adulthood. Losing his mother's love at a young age, living under the strict education of his grandfather, Phuc seemed to devote all his love to his father and Mien. However, circumstances forced him to leave that pure love, ending the film with a quiet image when Phuc left his hometown alone, carrying with him the memory of a love that never faded.
Characters Phuc (Do Nhat Hoang) and Mien (Ngoc Xuan) in the movie
From book to screen
Director Trinh Dinh Le Minh could not hide his emotions when sharing about the journey of adapting this novel. "A literary work when adapted into a film will have many changes. I have cherished this project for four years and sought out screenwriter Nhi Bui to collaborate. We had worked well together in 'Dear Mother, I'm Going', which made it easy for both of us to have a common voice when adapting the novel by writer Nguyen Nhat Anh."
During the script writing process, the crew had to select and remove unnecessary details to highlight the most important elements of the story. Some details about Phuc's character were changed to better suit the emotions in the film.
The rice fields in the ripe rice season are a memorable scene in the film.
"The meeting between Phuc and Su was turned into an accidental meeting instead of a purposeful one, creating a naturalness for the character. Vinh's character was also built stronger and more decisive, when instead of waiting until the next morning, he returned that same night to prove the determination in his love," the director shared with the audience.
The director also cleverly divided the story into different time periods, from 1987 to 2000, making it easy for the audience to follow the character's emotional development. He said that the film also retained the detail of Mien reading Lady of the Camellias as a way to honor the young girl's rich inner life, while also reflecting her early psychological maturity compared to the two male characters.
Films full of memories
To bring the nostalgic atmosphere of the story, the director chose musician Phan Manh Quynh to compose the film's soundtrack. In response to the opinion that choosing Phan Manh Quynh was a common mistake because previous works adapted from Nguyen Nhat Anh's stories also used his music, Trinh Dinh Le Minh affirmed: "Phan Manh Quynh's music is a great choice for the space of youth and nostalgia. Quynh's music has an 'old scent' but still exudes a modern spirit, very suitable for 'Once upon a time there was a love story'".
The film was shot in Phu Yen and received support from local authorities to recreate the setting of the 90s.
The film was shot in Phu Yen and received support from the local government to recreate the 90s setting. The crew had to create artificial rain six times, with the help of local fire trucks. The director also revealed that a football scene in the film had to be filmed in the mud after a heavy rain, creating a very rustic feel to the scene, although this was not originally planned.
The scene where the characters play soccer in the mud was not planned by the film crew.
One of the most expensive scenes in the film is the corn field scene, where cinematographer Nguyen Trinh Hoan had to plant corn for three months. However, due to bad weather, the crew had to buy 3,600 corn plants to replant right before the shooting day. These efforts show the care and dedication the crew put into each shot.
The main cast of the film includes Avin Lu, Ngoc Xuan and Nhat Hoang, each of whom brings their own color to their character. Avin Lu has a lot of acting experience, but for Ngoc Xuan and Nhat Hoang, this is the first time they try their hand at the main role. Ngoc Xuan makes a strong impression with her clear, sensitive eyes, reflecting the deep inner self of the character Mien. Nhat Hoang, with his youthfulness and innocence, also brings a fresh and genuine image to the role of Vinh.
Playing the main role for the first time, Ngoc Xuan made a strong impression with her clear, sensitive eyes, reflecting the deep inner self of the character Mien.
A subtle message about love and loss
"Once upon a time there was a love story" is not only a love story but also a story about maturity, sacrifices and pain. The director shared: "I just want to say that if there were two or three situations in the movie that could create a good 'drama'. The characters would surely rush into each other, bite each other, utter the most terrible words, slap, punch each other in the face, fall down, blood spurting out of their mouths... Such situations are both opportunities, but can also be traps. For me, that is not exactly drama. Drama is when people face their own pain and the pain of the person opposite, helpless and not knowing what to do, as if a razor blade kept cutting into your hand... Surely if Vinh or Mien behaved like that, they would not be Vinh or Mien in Nguyen Nhat Anh's work, and in my imagination, the creative team and the actors."
Director Trinh Dinh Le Minh on set
The film ends with the image of Phuc lonely leaving his hometown, leaving behind a first love that only remains in his memory. It is the simplicity in the way of telling and the deep emotions of the characters that have created a cinematic work that touches the hearts of viewers. "Once upon a time there was a love story" is a story about first love, the sweet and clumsy emotions of youth, making the audience immerse themselves in deep, unforgettable memories.
Vinh and Mien's happy little family
