Vietnamese director hosts free movie screening for 2,000 people

Hai said he hosted the screening of “Lat Mat 6” (Face Off 6) on Monday, four days before the official release as a tribute to the people in Dinh Yen, Lap Vo District, where most of the filming took place.

Hai’s crew prepared 2,000 tickets along with snacks and cooling fans for the audience to enjoy. Nearly 4,000 turned up and the crew had to refuse many because there was not enough space.

Since the movie has not been released yet, the crew collected recording devices from the audience to avoid piracy.

Audience at the free screening of “Lat Mat 6” in Dinh Yen Commune, Dong Thap Province on April 24, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tuan

Hai said that when he went to Dinh Yen for filming last year, he received a lot of help from many locals.

They provided him with a filming location and food for the crew. The director struggled to find a traditional Vietnamese craft village as the main background for the film. After surveying many places, he decides on a mat-making village as the craft is gradually disappearing.

Because this village is no longer in its golden years, Hai had to spend big to recreate scenes of a bustling craft village. The crew built kilns, bought thousands of mats and arranged them in the village for filming.

After the early screening, audience feedback was positive.

Nu Mi No from Lap Vo said: “I can relate to many scenes because I have experienced money and family problems like the characters. The father-daughter love in the movie made me cry many times.”

Another film-goer, Nguyen Van Muoi said that his family has been making mats for many generations and felt grateful to see the traditional craft of his hometown brought to the big screen.

The movie tells the story of six men in a village who have been friends since childhood. To celebrate the friendship, the main character (Quoc Cuong) buys lottery tickets according to the birthdays of the six friends. When one of them wins it causes drama as everyone wants a cut.

Hai is one of the most successful producers at the Vietnamese box office due to his “Lat Mat” franchise.

In 2021, “Lat Mat 5: 48h” (Face Off 5: 48 Hours) grossed VND150 billion ($6.38 million) and became the most successful movie in the franchise.