Vietnam's romance film released in Japan

Independent female director Cao Thuy Nhi’s feature film on love, Nham Mat Thay Mua He (Snow in Summer), will be released in Hokkaido, Japan, on April 6.

A scene in Nham Mat Thay Mua He (Snow in Summer), a romantic film by independent female director Cao Thuy Nhi, will be released in Hokkaido on April 6 and will be in cinemas in Vietnam in June. (Photo courtesy of the producer)
A scene in Nham Mat Thay Mua He (Snow in Summer), a romantic film by independent female director Cao Thuy Nhi, will be released in Hokkaido on April 6 and will be in cinemas in Vietnam in June. (Photo courtesy of the producer)

The film is centred on the love between Ha, a Vietnamese woman, and Akira, a Japanese man, who overcome the barriers of language and lifestyle.

Ha travels to Hokkaido to find her missing father, and discovers Japan and its culture through Akira.

Nhi, one of the industry’s few independent film makers, said her Vietnamese and Japanese crew spent nearly two years filming the production.

She received financial support for her film project from a Japanese producer.

“We worked hard in casting, with dozens of experts in language, costume design and props to perfect our production technically and socially,” said Nhi, a graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theatre and Cinematography. “Our film is about human culture.”

The film stars young actress Phuong Anh Dao as Ha and Takafumi Akutsu as Akira.

Most of the scenes were shot in Hokkaido, Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

Nhi said her film is set to be released in cinemas across Japan this year.

Thien Ngan (Galaxy) Film, one of the country’s leading film distributors, will distribute the film in Vietnam on June 1.