First Vietnam-Japan film based on a real story

Shooting of the first Vietnamese-Japanese feature film, based on author Komatsu Miyuki's decision to have her mother spend the rest of her life in Vietnam, will begin in November.
Shooting of the first Vietnamese-Japanese feature film, based on authorKomatsu Miyuki's decision to have her mother spend the rest of her lifein Vietnam, will begin in November.

Shot mostly in Vietnam, it will be directed by Kabuki Omori and Tat Binh; and will star actress Keiko Matsuzaka.

Miyuki'sautobiographical work, Quang Doi Cuoi Cung O Viet Nam (The RemainingPart of Life in Vietnam), was first published in Japanese and translatedinto Vietnamese later.

She had come to Vietnam to teachJapanese, but could not stop thinking about her mother living alone inJapan. After her mother visited Hanoi, she was convinced to stay on andlive here with her daughter.

Kitazato has written the script for the film produced by Japanese Argo Pictures and Yutaka Otaka.

Afterreading the script, he felt "it is a moving story about elderlypeople", director Tat Binh said at a press conference in Hanoi recently.

Kitazatosaid he read many historical and political books about Vietnam, but wasstuck until he read five Vietnamese novels that helped him understandthe "humanity and deep sentiments" of the Vietnamese people.

DirectorOmori said the script had enhanced his understanding of Vietnam, acountry that he had known about mainly through newspaper reports of thewars it had to fight.

"I will try my best to make a valuablemovie that will promote relationship between the two countries," saidOmori, who has 30 years of experience in making films in Japan as wellas other countries like the Philippines and India.

Japaneseactress Keiko Matsuzaka, who will play the film's main character, saidthat she was struck by the traffic in Hanoi, at the way the people rodemotorcycles in crowded streets.

"Director Binh has promised to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. That will be my first work in Hanoi," she said.

"Iread the book by Komatsu. I think the writer made the right decision intaking her mother to live the rest of her life in Hanoi," the actresssaid.

Matsuzaka, a well known actress in Japan with prominentroles in films and television serials for over 20 years, will also haveto learn Vietnamese to play the role of a Japanese teacher here.

The film is scheduled for release in both countries later this year.-VNA

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