Legacy 80: Director of Mua Do Dang Thai Huyen: “I hope young people see themselves in tragic cuts”

As the nation looks forward to the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (19 August 1945–19 August 2025) and National Day (2 September 1945–2 September 2025), Vietnamese cinema marks another milestone: the release of Mua Do. A war film of scale and rare “historical collisions”, produced by the People’s Army Cinema, it carries weight both cultural and symbolic. Entrusting it to a female director reflects confidence, yet also sets a challenge without precedent.

Lieutenant Colonel Dang Thai Huyen, officer of the Vietnam People’s Army, is Deputy Director of Art at the People’s Army Film Studio. She was named Meritorious Artist by the State of Vietnam in 2024.

Having portrayed soldiers many times through documentaries and feature films, Dang Thai Huyen now undertakes a special “artistic campaign”. Military precision and discipline are placed in balance with creativity and emotion, as she recreates war in a cinematic language that is both tragic and deeply moving. For modern audiences, and particularly the young generation long removed from the heat of war, Mua Do offers a rare and resonant bridge.

With Mua Do, the female director has sent tremors through Vietnamese cinema, its vivid historical collisions leaving audiences shaken by loss, grief and painful conflict, yet at the same time stirred by sacrifice, meaning and the pride of resilient generations past.

When you received the script for Mua Do to direct, did you have any concerns or pressure?

Director Dang Thai Huyen (DTH): To say I was troubled would be an understatement. It was an immense pressure. This is a film linked with major national anniversaries: the 80th of the August Revolution (19 August 1945–19 August 2025) and National Day (2 September 1945–2 September 2025), and it is a large-scale war production. Entrusting such a work to a woman director reflects great confidence from the military leadership. That made me feel a heavy responsibility: I must give everything, worthy of that trust. At the same time, the script of Mua Do is already tragic, fierce and powerful. My challenge was to retain that spirit, while adding a personal touch, so the film feels tragic yet fresh, reaching audiences of today, especially the young.

When editing the film, did you keep the same viewpoint as in the original script by author Chu Lai – about the two sides in the war?

DTH: I always wanted to preserve balance in Mua Do. Both sides were made up of elite young men, the brightest of their time. Neither side was weak. What separated them were ideals and historical circumstance, and it is in that difference that the tragedy of war emerges.

The film makes this clear. Viewers can see that the ‘other side’ is immensely powerful. On this side, most fighters were patriotic students, used to books, with primitive weapons and scarce resources. The contrast in strength and equipment underscores the value of victory and the spirit of defiance. This is the message we sought to convey: victory is not solely a matter of military power, but of courage, will and the unyielding spirit.

You emphasise women and children a great deal in the film. Why is that?

DTH: In every war, it is women and children who bear the deepest suffering. The grief of a mother losing her child knows no boundaries, and touches hearts beyond reason. In Mua Do, the closing scene, with two mothers on opposing sides sharing the same pain, is a detail I worked hard to capture. This is where a woman director brings a distinct sensibility: attuned to tragedy, delicate in storytelling, and always placing humanity at the centre.

The presence of women and children is not only an emotional highlight but a reminder of the profound human truth of war, loss, resilience, and compassion amid the storms of history. Through these moments, I hope audiences will not only see the battles, but also feel the hearts and pain of those who lived behind the lines.

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War cinema often bears the weight of life-and-death scenes, yet director Dang Thai Huyen shaped Mua Do with shifting emotional rhythms: a moment of peace alongside loss, laughter followed by tears, and amid bullets and fire, a burning desire to live.

In terms of artistic language, how did you handle the war to be both realistic and attractive?

DTH: The cinematic language I pursue always places contrast at its core: silence cut with loss, fleeting joy giving way to sorrow. I want the audience to remain uncertain, never sure what may follow, so that the sense of surprise and tension, like in real war, is always alive.

The constant uncertainty between life and death, hope and despair, forms the heart of the story. One of the simplest yet most haunting images is the rice ball: a meal prepared but never finished, food waiting for comrades who may not survive to eat it. The soldiers prepare enough for all, hoping everyone will return, but war never makes such promises.

After the gunfire, no one knew whether the person holding the rice ball would still be there to take a bite, or had already fallen. These small, ordinary stories are those that war witnesses still tell: survival mixed with fragile hope, and pain carried quietly in every mouthful.

When making Mua Do, I was curious but also tested by the artistic space demanded by the film. It is a story tied to history, and my task was to recreate it with authenticity.

Meeting families of martyrs, heroic Vietnamese mothers, and wounded veterans still bearing scars, I realised that this was more than a mission; it was a path that had to be followed to the end. It was the only way to guide audiences towards even a fragment of history in its truest form – through pain, sacrifice, hope and the pride of those who lived the war.

In Mua Do, there are quite a few women in the crew. In your opinion, what makes women unique when making films about war?

DTH: When asked about the crew, I shared that Mua Do had many women in key positions. This may surprise the public, because in many people’s minds, war films are usually the domain of men. In Vietnamese cinema, major war productions are almost always entrusted to male directors. Giving women space to take on vital roles from directing and art direction to sound and acting is a challenge, but also an opportunity to affirm women’s ability and perseverance in this field.

It is worth noting that in a war project, pressure is not only about expertise, but also strength and spirit. Mua Do demanded immense physical and emotional endurance, requiring sacrifice, resilience and determination from everyone involved. The women in the crew faced problems each day, overcame them, and never yielded. That perseverance and determination enabled them to complete each stage, contributing to the highest artistic quality of the film.

This largest-ever war production has affirmed the capacity of female directors and their crews. Recognition came not from titles, but from the results they achieved.

How do you apply military spirit in your leadership?

DTH: In Mua Do, military discipline was essential to sustain fighting spirit and harmony across the crew. Filming often felt like leading a campaign: the leader must command, guide, and ensure the safety of everyone. I could not show fatigue or weakness in front of the team; all eyes were on me, and I had to be the anchor that helped us move forward.

The scenes involving weapons, explosives and thousands of soldiers were meticulously managed, and I am proud that no serious incident has occurred. The discipline and sense of responsibility within the crew, especially amongst the women, allowed everything to run smoothly and safely, while leaving room for artistic creativity.

With today’s young generation, how have you used cinematic language to reach them, helping them accept a historical film?

DTH: A very interesting question. When making Mua Do, I always considered the perspective of young audiences who are proud of their nation and patriotic, yet engage with history differently to the generations before them. From casting and staging large-scale battle scenes to designing space, sound and lighting, I sought to blend classical cinematography with a more contemporary approach. This was my way of depicting history while remaining engaging and accessible for young audiences.

An important aspect was to preserve political orientation and historical accuracy, but also to weave in moderate “market” elements, so that the film remains authentic yet approachable. I want young viewers to feel the rhythm, emotions and tragedy of the story without it becoming heavy-handed.

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I have always believed the audience is part of the experience. However much effort we put into a film, whether it reaches the heart depends on their response. That reception affirms whether the cinematic language truly connects history with today.

Patriotism and solidarity, spreading from all regions, are the strongest bridge for the younger generation to feel the historical and human values of Mua Do. When they leave the cinema, especially after the climax scenes, I hope they understand the profound meaning of war, sacrifice and patriotism – the timeless messages that the film wishes to convey.

Writer Chu Lai, author of the original novel, entrusted his spirit to the Mua Do film crew. After seeing the first cut, he simply said: “Thank you, because you have kept the spirit I sent.” The words were brief, yet for director Dang Thai Huyen they carried immense value. He is both demanding and deeply attuned to the worth of literature and cinema. His acknowledgement was an affirmation that the humane and emotional essence of Mua Do had been preserved.

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