ThanTuong (Idol) tells the story of Tri, an ethnic Hoa (Vietnamese withChinese origin) living in Ho Chi Minh City, and his path to becoming amusic idol. Despite his father's disapproval, he works hard to become aconcert organiser and then a singer.
The film gathers popularnames in Vietnamese showbiz like singers Hoang Thuy Linh, Noo PhuocThinh, Dong Nhi and Ong Cao Thang and Miss Viet Nam 2006 Mai PhuongThuy.
It won the Golden Kite awards for Best Feature and the 2013Journalism Choice award for Best Movie, as well as the awards for BestDirector (director Nguyen Quang Huy), Best Cameraman (Trang Cong Minh),Best Designer (Ngo Phuoc Truong) and Best Supporting Actor (Ngo Kien Huyin the role of Le Tran Nguyen).
"In more than 20 years workingas a concert organiser, I haven't produced anything that got anynominations, let alone won anything. This is the first time I joined theGolden Kite Award event and I just want to meet my colleagues,"director Huy said. "If after receiving an award, people forget tocontinue to work even harder, then the award is meaningless. Tonight myteam and I will celebrate our victory, but tomorrow we will continue towork on our next project."
Explaining the movie's great victory,director Nguyen Vinh Son, head of the jury, commented that the film waspure entertainment.
"Though it did not top the box office list,it is a good film in every way," he said. "Its content is familiar, yetthe filmmakers were creative in setting up scenes and dialogue and musicwith lots of meaning."
This year, 13 feature movies, 15television series, 14 cartoons, 50 documentaries, 12 scientificdocumentaries, 45 short films and 4 cinema research works competed forGolden Kite Awards.
State-funded Nhung Nguoi Viet Nen Huyen Thoai (The Legend Makers) was the only political movie.
"Yetthe movie could not take the Golden Kite award as there were someirrelevant details," Son said. "That's why we are creating a new awardfor movies on war themes to encourage filmmakers to create historicalfilms."
In the same ceremony, the participants recognised latePeople's Artist Pham Van Khoa, among the first founders of Vietnamesecinema and the first director of the Vietnam Film Studio, now VietnamFeature Film Studio. This year would be his 100th birthday.-VNA