Published:  00:00 Monday - January 19, 2009

Two film directors in Ho Chi Minh City are hoping their new movies will set new box office records during the lunar New Year, despite stiff competition from lucrative Hollywood products.

“Dep Tung Centimet” (Beautiful in Every Centimetre) of director Vu Ngoc Dang features a love story between a rural beauty queen and a philandering cameraman, who believe love is a game, but are forced to do some rethinking.

Dang says that he believes in the financial success of his film because it’s a comedy with a cast of the industry’s hottest faces.

Dep Tung Centimet laces its humour with some eroticism, scenes that are ably performed by Tang Thanh Ha, a promising artist on both the catwalk and the silver screen.

About her first “sexy scenes”, Ha says she has confidence in Dang’s talent and experience in the film industry.

The 35-year-old director says that “Ha is a professional artist. In my film, I’ve wanted her to act for art. I don’t want to build her up as a sex symbol”.

Produced by the private film company BHD, Dep Tung Centimet is expected to be a big hit over the festival film season.

Dang’s biggest competitor, director Nguyen Quang Dung, has a very different approach.
In his latest work, “Giai Cuu Than Chet” (Saving the Death) – a musical comedy, there are no big stars.
Dung’s film uses an amateur cast, including teen singers Minh Hang, Dong Nghi, Chi Thien and Baggio – who are playing their first leading roles in a movie.

Although he has no experience in producing musicals, Dung decided to make Giai Cuu Than Chet because he wants to add something new to a market dominated by traditional film making”.

“I predict that comedies with music and dance will be big hits with youngsters who are looking for more light-hearted entertainment,” he says.

Giai Cuu Than Chet revolves around an ugly schoolgirl called An, played by Minh Hang, who finds it hard to communicate with her classmates.

One day, An meets Death, played by Chi Thien. She asks Death to improve her beauty and talent in singing and dance. The film tracks them on this journey that is full of trouble and fun, within and outside school.

To guarantee its success, Thien Ngan, HK Film and Thanh Nien Communication have spent more than VND3 billion (US$174,000) in producing the film alone.