Young actor Lien Binh Phat plays a leading role in Ngoi Nha Buom Buom (Butterfly House), an adaptation of La Cage aux Folles, a French play written by Jean Poiret in 1973 (Photo courtesy of the producer) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The film Ngoi Nha Buom Buom (ButterflyHouse), a production about a gay couple by director Huynh Tuan Anh, will berelease next month by Lotte Entertainment Vietnam.
The film is adapted from La Cage aux Folles (The cage of mad women), aFrench play written by Jean Poiret in 1973. Folles is also a slang termfor effeminate men.
The play was first staged on Broadway in 1983 and won six Tony Awards,including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.
Since its debut, the play has been staged and adapted into a film manytimes.
The Vietnamese version, Ngoi Nha Buom Buom, tells stories of love,betrayal and family issues. LGBT rights are also highlighted.
The film focuses on a young bride named Mai, who discovers secrets about hergroom’s family on their wedding day.
The film’s director Anh used young star Lien Binh Phat and pop singer-actressHoang Yen Chibi to play leading roles.
Phat performed in Song Lang (The Tap Box), a film about the 100-year historyand development of cai luong (reformed opera), a genre of traditionaltheatre in South Vietnam, by Vietnamese-American Broadway dancer and filmdirector Leon Le last year.
He played a cai luong performer who falls in love with his malecolleague and makes sacrifices to pursue his dream.
Phat spent several days practising singing and dancing cai luong withexperts.
His performance left a very strong impression on audiences.
He won the Tokyo Gemstone Award in the Best Newcomer category at the TokyoInternational Film Festival 2018.
In Ngoi Nha Buom Buom, Phat performs with Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc,and Vietnamese-American comedians Quang Minh and Hong Dao.
“I hope to develop my professional career after playing in Ngoi Nha Buom Buom,”said Phat, who is also a fashion model and dancer.
The film will be released next month.
Film director Anh, a graduate of HCM CityUniversity of Theatre & Cinematography, has worked hard on Ngoi Nha BuomBuom, a serious feature film.
“I want my films to address serious issues. I want my audiences, particularlyyoung people, to think about life after watching,” said Anh, who has worked asa secondary school teacher in Vietnamese literature.
His previous film, Gao Cho Nuoc Song (Rice Market and River) was afeature about travelling cai luong troupes in the Cuu Long (Mekong)River Delta region in the1970s.
The 14 billion VND (615,000 USD) film portrays cai luong performersliving in Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces, home of the art, who were oncefarmers. Their love and devotion for cai luong are depicted in the film.
It is based on Cuoi Mua Nhan Sac (The End of Beauty), a short story byfemale writer Nguyen Ngoc Tu, winner of the ASEAN Literature Awards presentedby the Thai Royal Family in 2008.
Anh and his staff rebuilt Tay Sai Gon Theatre (now HCM City Opera House), whichoffered the first show of cai luong in November 1918.
The show, titled Gia Long Tau Quoc (King Gia Long Travels to the West),features events before the reign of Nguyen Dynasty in the 1780s.
Gao Cho Nuoc Song was released last year to celebrate the 100thanniversary of the founding of cai luong.
“My producers spent several billions on dong on my works, so I do not want tohave any mistake during filming,” said 35-year old Anh, who worked on playsbefore becoming involved in film.-VNS/VNA
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