Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam 

Introduction: Stunning art inspired by a brilliant film, our Irish fan momentarily in Vietnam looks at the world of  Người Mặt Trời – Daydreamers 

By James Bacon: I was enjoying a coffee in Paper and I, across the road from the Independence Palace on Đ. Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa and it is part of a very modern small complex of multi-use buildings and in one of them I was stunned to see a piece of wonderful art, and as I stepped in it was a moment of discovery. 

Ranged around the walls were startlingly vivid works, incredible paintings some of which  were obviously Vampires but with a story, as each one was clearly identified and accompanied by text and there was a vividness that only the images can adeptly portray.   

Each character was explained. For example, Trieu, born in 1573 during feudal times, was bitten by a Vampire and then attacked by people in the area when discovered, and so she engraved upon her heart, that she would protect her people. Her blood is vampires, and she will live and die to protect her people from the hands of humans. There are a variety of characters, including two brothers who seem very different, Marco and Nhat who were born in the 1800’s on a French plantation which was massacred by Vampires, and Ha who is not infected, but as of the now is a modern youth with the stresses of life. We live in an era where all languages are accessible with a phone. 

The images were really quite well done, strongly imagined and stylized. I was quite taken aback by this surprisingly fantastic find, and it with some considerable fortuitousness that this good luck continues, for an event was taking place that evening. 

These incredible pieces of art were by Vietnamese Hip-Hop artist Viet Max, whose work I had actually seen elsewhere that day, and this work was the interpretations of characters from a Vietnamese Vampire Film by Timothy Linh Búi entitled  Người Mặt Trời — Daydreamers 

Returning that evening, the venue which opened up onto a lovely tree-filled space had been changed into a very delightful launch space, with food and drinks, and a wide selection of people present, including actors and the director, as well as Viet Max himself.  With DJ’s pumping out the local bass tunes, the wonderful venue was full of atmosphere and lively and there was much excitement for the art. 

I got the chance to speak with Viet Max. Apart from being absolutely pleasant, and so pleased with what was going on, his enthusiasm for comics and manga was made apparent as we discussed influences and his style. This is an incredibly adept artist who is brilliant at so many things, a film director, music artist, and painter, his knowledge and appreciation were considerable. He explained that he tried to fuse his passion for these things, comics and manga and bring the characters from the film to the canvas and to life but in a unique style. He totally achieved this, he had given them such strength on the canvas and the detail, the work was so good. 

There was and is much excitement about the release of Daydreamers, which opened the next day, and so I booked to go and see this Vampire Film, the first one from Vietnam, and if anything, it was a very auspicious start to my encounter with this film and art.  

Opening with an animated sequence and with fabulous music, we learn of the Vampires and their place in Vietnam, much is explained and then we are brought to the live action. 

Set in the Vietnam of the now, and filmed in Ho Chi Minh City, it had such a sense of place, I really felt as a visitor, that it was perfect placed but the pace was fitting, this is a modern and fast moving city, and this was brilliantly captured. There is a focus on brothers Nhat and Marco, the story felt different and fresh to me, clever in the way that it was set up. Taking the legend of Vampires, and giving it an interesting angle, for some, and thus presenting a sequence of really interesting moral questions, good versus evil, the loyalty of brotherhood, and the nature of existence. The film spoke to modern issues, xenophobia and assumptions of the masses, hatred and fear, and what it is to do the right thing, on a number of levels. I was stunned. 

It is beautifully filmed, there are some exquisite scenes, Marco and Trieu as well as the two brothers, and Ha who was brilliant, it all added to a really exciting and engaging film, exceeding my expectations. 

Afterwards, it was noted that the effects were excellent, and I realized that they were more than this, there was a seamlessness to the film that meant my belief was fully suspended, no moment of wishing a CGI scene or effect could have been better, I had been effectively brought into the film and stayed there by the great work of all involved. The music was incredible

Miss Nine created and produced the electronic music and Jerome Leroy the classical film score, which when fused and joining the moving imagery added so much emotion and atmosphere. Miss Nine said “I sought out to merge soundscapes from industrial, melodic techno, synthwave, deep house, and dance to convey a conflicting world for young vampires exploring unknown complex territories for themselves.” Leroy explained for his part, “Musically, I needed to represent the threat they faced in their journey from Europe to Vietnam, what happened after they arrived, and why they had to go underground, it had to feel powerful, exciting, and urgent – but we didn’t want to use a theme or motif that would be used later on. We wanted it to be its own, self-contained story.” Leroy not only presented some amazing piano solos but also incredible sounds with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra all working to add to the film. 

This is a fabulous film, and writer, director and visionary Timothy Linh Buí is responsible for a fine piece of work.  “I wanted to tell a story about people who live within the shadows of a modern city,  inspired by riverboat communities on the edge of society, who have been there for decades and are often overlooked by those around them,” he said on Leroy’s page. 

“The vampire genre was my way to explore themes of isolation, broken families, and identity. I learned that the vampire genre is very foreign to Vietnamese culture, making it even more interesting and challenging to make it relatable to local audiences while keeping nuances familiar in vampire lore throughout the Western world.

“I wanted it to be about a sense of loneliness and the struggle to find that simple human connection, whatever that might be someone… I wanted to create something personal, maybe because I have a brother but then I also felt that it’s fresher. It made me more curious to explore these elements further. I haven’t seen them before in a vampire film.” 

Tim left Vietnam in 1975, one week before the fall of Saigon, as a refugee, grew up in Sunnyvale and returned to Vietnam in 1995 and started to make films in the country, and continues to do so. As Daydreamers proves so ably, he has a unique perspective and his love of Vietnam come across in his work, and Ho Chi Minh City looks so well, and some of the scenes especially the bike scene, was so beautifully done. 

Starring Thuận Nguyễn as Marco, Trần Ngọc Vàng as Nhat, Chi Pu as the Queen of Vampires, Trịnh Thảo’s as Hạ and a thoughtful Thạch Kim Long as police colonel Lộc who contends with what is swirling around in both worlds, this is a superb film, and really enjoyable, and when considered in reflection, the work of Viet Max so brilliantly compliments the story. 

Places to get more information:

Viet Max

• Website: https://www.vietmax100.com/about
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vietmax100/?hl=en

Người Mặt Trời

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nguoimattroimovie/

Miss Nine 

• YouTube: Daydreamers motion picture soundtrack album

Jerome Leroy 

• Website: https://www.jeromeleroy.com/daydreamers
• Movie website: https://www.cgv.vn/en/nguoi-mat-troi.html
• Profile: Q&A: Vietnamese-American filmmaker Timothy Linh Bui explores his roots and craft – The Mercury News (2012)