Directors and producers of historical films and TV series have innumerable complaints about the lack of film studios and other film technical facilities in Vietnam.
Artist and director Hai Ninh, well-known for movies like "Vi Tuyen 17 Ngay va Dem” (17 Parallel Days and Nights), “Em be Hanoi” (Hanoi little girl) and “Moi tinh dau” (First love) said that he is unable to make a historical film without good film making studio facilities.
Director Hong Son lamented that he had to disrupt shooting the famous TV serial “Chay an” (Buying Justice) because of lack of money and studio space.
Viet Nam Feature Film Studio had to rent a warehouse for VND30 million per month and spend a large amount to restore it into a studio for the TV serial “39 do yeu” (Love of 39 degree Celsius).
The film crew of Thai su Tran Thu Do (The Great Tutor Tran Thu Do – founder of the Tran Dynasty) filmed several scenes inside a temple of King Minh Mang (1820-41). The film crew allegedly encroached on a sacred sanctuary.
Producer of the historical film titled Huyen Su Thien Do (The Legend of Relocating the Capital) spent more than VND 1 billion to build a temporary studio which was dismantled after the shooting.
Meanwhile Co Loa studio located in the suburbs of Hanoi is regarded as the biggest studio in the country. Covering an area of around 15 hectares, the studio was built in 1959 with funds from the Soviet Union and the German Democratic Republic.
Many classic Vietnamese movies were made in Co Loa studio, such as “Chung mot song song” (Sharing a river), “Ngheu, so, oc, hen (oyster, arca, snail, and mussel) and “Chi Tu Hau” (Mrs. Tu Hau).
The site is now being upgraded into a modern studio, expected to complete by 2015.
Replicas of ancient Hanoi streets, the north midlands and the delta region will be rebuilt in the studio, according to Nguyen Van Nhiem, director of Co Loa Studio.
There are presently around 10 studios in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
