TV drama features rural youth
Delta life: Amateur eight-year-old actress Thien Kim (first left) and her five colleagues perform in the 31-part series Dong Song Thuong Nho (Beloved River), a new production from Ho Chi Minh Television aimed at young audiences this summer. — VNS File Photo
HCM CITY(VNS)— The Ho Chi Minh Television Station (HTV) is introducing a TV series featuring a group of children living in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.
The 31-part series, Dong Song Thuong Nho (Beloved River), focuses on the daily lives of Binh and her five friends, aged six to 10, who learn valuable life lessons by working to support their parents during summer holiday.
Love, friendship and compassion are highlighted.
“We visited and filmed in many places, including An Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces,” the eight-year-old actress Thien Kim (who played Binh), said.
“We met local children and learned about their culture and lifestyle. We tried our best to make their stories come alive. It wasn’t an easy task for us,” she added.
Kim and her colleagues spent many difficult days working with the film’s director and film staff to discover the Cuu Long region and its people.
Tran Que Ngoc, the film’s assistant director, said the film is special because of its blending of scenes featuring the natural environment, with beautiful depictions of daily life performed by the young actors.
“We hope our film will leave a good impression on its viewers and achieve a high audience rating,” she said.
According to Ngoc, there are too many poor screenplays today that are unsuitable for young audiences.
As a result, filmmakers do not want to make features or TV series worth billions of dong with these screenplays.
“Making movies for children is very complicated. Producers and directors need good screenplays and skilled young actors who can bring these roles to life,” she said.
Dong Song Thuong Nho is broadcast on HTV9 every Thursday at 5:30pm. — VNS