Huynh Lap expressed his passion in his second film project, wanting to bring the traditional cultural features of the nation closer to Gen Z. "The Ancestor's House" is a film that makes him urge himself to have the duty to spread what he knows about the spiritual culture and ancestor worship of the Vietnamese people.
The journey to bring the quintessence of Vietnam to the big screen
"The Ancestral House" is a story revolving around the family of Gia Minh (Huynh Lap) and My Tien (Phuong My Chi), especially the character My Tien, a young girl who is not really interested in ancestor worship and traditional customs.
The story unfolds as My Tien becomes more deeply aware of the value of celebrating ancestor worship, from which she goes on a journey of changing her perspective, discovering and preserving the nation's precious customs.
In the movie "Ancestors' House", Hai The pancake shop is not only a business location, it is also a symbol of family tradition, a place to preserve the good cultural values of the Vietnamese people. Hai The pancake shop is the family's traditional profession of Gia Minh and My Tien, a profession that has been with their family for many generations.
Through the details of ancestor worship rituals, the work conveys the love and gratitude each person has for their ancestors.
Huynh Lap was very pleased to choose Banh Xeo as a special "character" in his film. Banh Xeo is not only a familiar dish, close to the childhood of many people but also has a deep meaning of reunion and prosperity. The image of a family gathering around a hot pan of Banh Xeo, enjoying the crispy cakes together has become a beautiful part of the memories of many Vietnamese people.
In particular, Huynh Lap shared a touching story about his family’s pancake making business. The pancake making business helped his grandmother raise 9 children, something he is extremely proud of and appreciates.
The craft of making banh xeo, the art of glass painting, and the custom of holding death anniversaries are all included by Huynh Lap in his movies.
In addition, the extras are Huynh Lap’s relatives, making banh xeo according to the recipe left by his grandmother, making the film more realistic. The film “House of the Ancestors” also has a special scene depicting close-up of the traditional banh xeo making steps performed by Huynh Lap and Phuong My Chi, thereby introducing this dish in a detailed and attractive way to the audience.
In Vietnamese culture, death anniversary is not only a simple ceremony but also a beautiful traditional cultural feature, with deep spiritual and emotional significance. Death anniversary is an occasion for descendants to remember the deceased, express gratitude for the contributions of previous generations.
The film uses the traditional Vietnamese death anniversary scene as an important climax, helping to push the conflict to a climax and reveal the main issues and messages of the film.
The anniversary is also an occasion for family members to reunite, gather together, and share stories about life and family. However, in modern life, with the busy pace and pressure of work, many young people are sometimes no longer too "keen" on traditional rituals. Family gatherings on the anniversary sometimes become pressured, and traditional rituals can be overlooked.
The journey of the character My Tien in the movie "House of Ancestors" is like a "journey back", from "indifference" to "understanding" the true meaning of the death anniversary. It is not only remembering the deceased, it is also the "glue" that binds family members together, the "fire" that warms hearts.
The director shared that the conflict during the death anniversary in his film was to resolve misunderstandings and psychological problems between members.
Huynh Lap revealed that in the big scene of the death anniversary in “House of the Ancestors”, he decided to apply black and white makeup to the entire cast playing the role of ancestors returning to celebrate with their descendants. “If everyone at home has pictures of their grandparents from the past, they will see that the pictures will get older and fade, until they are only black and white. Lap thought, why don’t I show this on the characters who are ancestors? When applying black and white makeup to all the actors sitting in a row like that, Lap thought that if the audience saw the entire “ancestral council” in black and white like that, it would bring unexpected emotions, hoping that it would be an impressive scene at the end of the film.”
Recreating the art of stained glass is gradually fading away
Stained glass, a unique art form of Vietnam, once had a period of brilliant development. From solemn worship paintings in pagodas, temples to brilliant decorative paintings in houses and palaces, stained glass has become an indispensable part of Vietnamese cultural life.
In the past, entering any house in the Southern countryside, it was not difficult to see glass paintings hanging solemnly on the facade.
The early 90s of the last century can be considered the "golden age" of Vietnamese glass painting. Famous glass painting villages such as Ba Ve glass painting village (An Giang), Cho Lon glass painting village (HCMC) were extremely busy. Talented artisans created beautiful glass paintings, not only for decoration and worship purposes but also for export to many countries around the world.
Although there was a period of brilliant development, but now, handmade glass paintings are gradually fading away in the face of competition from other decorative paintings and modern printing technology. The appearance of printed paintings, stickers with diverse designs and low prices has made it difficult for handmade glass paintings to find a market.
Stained glass is not only a work of art but also a symbol of religious culture, closely associated with the lives of the people of the South.
To recreate the most authentic hand-painted glass paintings in the old Southern style on screen, the "Nha Gia Tien" crew made a painstaking and dedicated journey. They traveled to Ba Ve glass painting village, one of the oldest cradles of this genre, with the desire to collect and restore works that were gradually decaying, even at risk of being discarded.
This journey was not easy, because the ancient glass paintings had gone through many years, eroded and damaged by time. However, with a love for the profession and a passion for cultural heritage, the team persevered in searching and selecting the remaining paintings, even if they were just fragments.
After collecting the precious paintings, the team began the restoration process. This work requires meticulousness, dexterity and in-depth knowledge of glass paintings. Each stroke and each color is carefully restored, so that the ancient paintings can "revive" on the screen, giving the audience the most realistic view of the beauty of ancient Southern glass paintings.
To bring this art to the big screen, the film crew devoted a lot of effort.
In addition to restoring ancient paintings, the "Nha Gia Tien" crew also commissioned artisans to paint some stained glass paintings according to director Huynh Lap's ideas. These paintings were used throughout the filming process, contributing to creating an ancient, Southern-style space for the film.
The use of real glass paintings in "House of the Ancestors" is not only an effort to recreate history and culture, but also a way for the crew to show gratitude to the artisans who contributed to creating this precious cultural heritage. At the same time, this is also an opportunity for the audience, especially the younger generation, to better understand the artistic and cultural value of Southern glass paintings, thereby raising awareness of preserving and promoting the fine traditional values of the nation.
Huynh Lap decided to make glass paintings a symbol in his film after a period of searching for the setting.
Director Huynh Lap’s “House of the Ancestors” brings an emotional family story, blending humorous and spiritual elements. In addition, the film also features a cast of veteran actors such as Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy, Meritorious Artist Trung Dan, Meritorious Artist Huynh Dong, Meritorious Artist Manh Dung, Meritorious Artist Thanh Dau, Meritorious Artist Thanh Hien, and many familiar faces such as Puka, Phuong My Chi, Dao Anh Tuan…
The movie “The Ancestor's House” has a special screening from February 19 and will officially open in theaters nationwide from February 21, 2025.
