Film about 1960s Sai Gon to screen at Busan Film Fest

Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor), a romantic comedy produced by movie star, director and producer Ngo Thanh Van, will be screened at the 22^nd Busan International Film Festival in Busan, South Korea next month.

A scene in Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor), a romantic comedy produced by movie star and director Ngo Thanh Van, scheduled to be screened at the 22^nd Busan International Film Festival next month. (Photo VAA studio)

The film, to be presented in the category “A Window on Asian Cinema”, is a 90-minute romantic comedy about Vietnamese women living in Sai Gon (now HCM City) in the 1960s. It features the culture and lifestyle of the Saigonese as well as the history of the ao dai (Vietnamese long dress).

Co Ba Sai Gon stars veteran actresses Diem My, Thuy Huong and People’s Artist Hong Van—voted three of the industry’s sexiest stars of all time by readers of Ho Chi Minh City Cinematography Magazine.

Young star Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc, winner of the 2011 Golden Lotus Award for the best actress, presented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also appears in the film.

Directed by young talents Loc Tran and Kay Nguyen, the film includes 3D effects with a soundtrack by popular singers and pop bands.

Producer Van and her studio VAA completed the post-production in July and will release the film in Vietnam in November and in the U.S. later.

“Co Ba Sai Gon is a romantic song by Vietnamese women who have triumphed in life and love,” said the 39-year-old Van, who has more than 10 years of experience in the industry.

Poster of Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor).

Van, known as Veronica Ngo in English, has completed her latest project in Hollywood. She spent four months in Los Angeles last year shooting scenes for Bright, directed by David Ayer and written by Max Landis, both of whom worked on the films End of Watch in 2012, Furry in 2014 and Suicide Squad last year.

Van plays a supporting role, a killer named Tien. Distributed by Netflix, the USD 90 million film stars Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace and will be in cinemas next year.

Bright is the second Hollywood film in which Van has appeared. In 2015, she appeared in a sequel to the 2000 Hollywood blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II: The Green Legend.

The film was directed by Yuen Woo-ping, starring Michelle Yeoh, who performed in Ang Lee’s 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Donnie Yen.

Last year, Van’s Tam Cam-Chuyen Chua Ke (Tam Cam – The Untold Story), a fantasy film worth VND 20 billion (USD 880,000), was screened at the 21^st Busan International Film Festival.

According to Van, the film’s distributor BHD worked with its Korean partner, Kidari Ent, to distribute Tam Cam-Chuyen Chua Ke in South Korea and other Asian countries.

The 22^nd Busan Film Festival, which takes place from November 12^th-21^st, has attracted 98 films from 75 countries./.

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