Director, Meritorious Artist Nguyen Danh Dung Born in 1970 in Thanh Hoa. At the end of 1998, he was one of the first directors from Hanoi University of Theater and Cinema to join the Television Film Center of Vietnam Television (VFC).
Those were extremely difficult years for the young director when he had little experience and little filmmaking remuneration. Only when the Saturday Afternoon Cinema and Sunday Arts programs became popular with the audience, Nguyen Danh Dung’s career just started thriving.
Directed by Nguyen Danh Dung.
The director’s first film on television was Leaving Home for the City, broadcast on the Sunday Arts program. After that, works such as: Story by the River, New Year’s Gift, Two Wharfs, One River, People on the River were born one after another, spreading and attracting audiences in the 1990s.
In the 2000s, Nguyen Danh Dung continued to be known to television viewers nationwide through a number of films: Illusion, Heartbeat, Love Paradise, A Day Without You, Listening to Tea…
Entering the 2010s until now, he has directed a series of films on criminal topics: When the Birds Return, Special Police, The Judge, Match of Minds… In particular, The Judge (2017) has creating a record for viewership, helping the station earn 192 billion VND from advertising.
Following its success, the film Come Home, Children (2019) exploiting the theme of family became the most prominent work of director Nguyen Danh Dung, estimated to earn 200 billion VND in advertising revenue.
The male director once confided: “Perhaps my father’s image is the beginning of the image of Father Son’s character in Come Home, Son. I am already a father to two children, but to understand the sacred love of fatherhood and sacrifice, The patience a father and mother have for their children is not enough from my own experience. The special thing about my father is his immense love for his children. Although he is strict, he is a very tolerant person. .
Director Nguyen Danh Dung received the VTV audience’s favorite movie award for the movie “Come home, baby”. Photo: VTV
Answering the question of whether the movie Come Home, Son, will make a part 2 or not, director Danh Dung said: “Come Home, Son is a film about family – a variety of topics, in my opinion there should not be a part 2.” dedicated to exploiting other corners of family and social life for the next films.”
In 2021, director Danh Dung continues to cause fever with the longest movie in primetime history, The Taste of Friendship. The film has the participation of Phuong Oanh, Manh Truong, Thu Quynh, Vo Hoai Nam… made during the period of social distancing, and was enthusiastically received by the audience.
Director Nguyen Danh Dung and actress Kieu Anh at the People’s Artist and Meritorious Artist award ceremony.
In 2023, the movie Life is Beautiful, taking material from the lives of working people in Long Bien market village (Hanoi), also attracted attention from the public. Through the lens of director Danh Dung, the films are honest, simple but no less humorous and deeply humane, convincing viewers.
Director Nguyen Danh Dung instructed the cast before filming.
Famous for being a serious, meticulous person who grasps the character’s psychology very carefully, but director Nguyen Danh Dung is always commented on by many actors who have worked with him such as: Minh Cuc, Thanh Huong, Viet Hoang… create conditions for actors to be creative, not constrained by any mold. Besides working hard on set, he always cares about people’s spiritual lives, sharing encouragement when their roles encounter difficulties or receive criticism from public opinion.
Actor Minh Cuc (left) and director Nguyen Danh Dung.
The movie War Without Borders directed by Nguyen Danh Dung also made its mark on a large audience. Not only exploiting professional stories, the crew also integrated stories about ethnic minorities with customs, traditions, cultural identities and did not forget to mention the customs that made border guards angry. Living and doing tasks in highland villages is always a concern.
Most recently, director Nguyen Danh Dung and screenwriter Trinh Khanh Ha of the film Flavor of Friendship continued to work together to make the film Timeless about Uncle Ho’s soldiers. This is a project to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944 – December 22, 2024) and the 35th anniversary of the National Defense Festival (December 22, 1989 – December 22, 2024). Not expected to air on VTV1 from October.
Space and time will show the military’s dedication, contributions and sacrifices in the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland; preserve, promote and spread the noble values of Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new situation. The film once again has the participation of Manh Truong – the actor who was very successful with the film The Taste of Love.
Director Nguyen Danh Dung during a trip to survey the setting of the movie “No Time” in Hoa Binh.
Sharing with the media, the male director said that he is a hard-working person, so after working hard to make movies, he chose to return to his hometown to do manual work, rest and regenerate energy to continue contributing to art. “After the movie The Judge, I decided to return to my hometown to grow vegetables, raise chickens, raise fish and spent nearly a year living in the family garden pond to relax my mind and not be stressed by the filming schedule,” director Nguyen Danh Dung said.
With enthusiasm and passion for creativity, Directed by Nguyen Danh Dung brings audiences many television dramas in diverse genres. He has won the Golden Kite Award twice in the Best Director category. In August 2018, director Nguyen Danh Dung was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist.
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