First Love
Synopsis
Set in Saigon prior to 1975, during the waning days of the Vietnam War, the film explores the inner turmoil of a generation grappling with existential questions and moral choices. The story follows Ba Duy, a young university student, who falls deeply in love with Diem Huong. Their romance is tragically interrupted when Diem Huong is compelled to marry an American adviser in order to save her father. Heartbroken, Ba Duy abandons his studies and descends into drug addiction, seeking to escape his pain and the harsh realities of life. His redemption begins when his elder sister Hai Lan - a covert intelligence officer operating within the city - intervenes with compassion and guidance, steering him away from a path of self-destruction.
Director's biography
People’s Artist Hai Ninh (1931–2013) was born in Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province. He served as Director of the Vietnam Feature Film Studio. Beginning his cinematic career in 1956, he was among the first cohort trained in cinematography by the Department of Cinema, and later joined the inaugural class of directing students at the Vietnam Film School. Hai Ninh’s oeuvre consists of numerous critically acclaimed works. Out of his three documentaries and twelve feature films, eight received major national and international accolades. Notable among them is Người chiến sĩ trẻ, which was awarded the Golden Lotus at the 1st Vietnam Film Festival and received commendations from the Vietnam Cinema Association and the Komsomol Youth Union at the Moscow International Film Festival (1965). Vĩ tuyến 17 ngày và đêm received the Silver Lotus at the 2nd Vietnam Film Festival and the World Peace Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1973. Em bé Hà Nội garnered the Golden Lotus at the 2nd Vietnam Film Festival (1973) and a Special Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1975.