by Donn Garton and Thuy Pham
photos courtesy of Ky Dong Productions

Synopsis
A serendipitous train ride from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City brings together a poor, aspiring artist and a young woman from a wealthy family. Tram Anh (played by Dong Yen Ngoc) is about to be married to a man she may or may not love, while Kien (Ho Khanh Trinh) is torn between living out his dreams or facing the responsibilities of adulthood. After they are unexpectedly left stranded and broke in the middle of the night, they begin an unconventional road trip of discovery through Viet Nam. Part romantic comedy, part coming-of-age story, part travel journal, 1735 km is a touching snapshot of today's Vietnamese youth as they search for identity and meaning in a rapidly changing world.

Released in October 2005, the Vietnamese production1735 km was made on a shoestring budget by Ky Dong Productions. Shot on location throughout Viet Nam, the film marks a departure from contemporary Vietnamese cinema, an industry traditionally dominated by popular romantic comedies. The filmmakers wanted to address the personal and emotional issues facing the young people of Viet Nam today, issues that have yet to find a real voice in mainstream Vietnamese media.

We caught up with Nguyen Quang Thai, one of the film's producers and screen writers, at a trendy cafe in downtown HCMC and asked him for his take on 1735 km, youth culture, and his personal experiences living and working in Viet Nam. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Thai and his family came to the U.S. in 1975. After graduating with a degree in design, he moved to New York City where he formed a successful interactive media company. Thai returned with his parents to Viet Nam soon after 9/11 and fell in love with the country.

NHA: 1735 km is very different from many of the films that have come out of Viet Nam. There's a real independent style and feel to it. Can you talk a little about that?

NQT: There were already films out there like Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo, and Three Seasons, but these were foreign productions with foreign budgets. Our goal was to produce a film that lived up to those films' international standards but had a Vietnamese budget and was a collaboration between Viet Kieu [overseas Vietnamese] and local Vietnamese crewmembers.

NHA: Was it a difficult film to cast?

NQT: We had a choice of either going with professionals who have a more exaggerated style or going with untrained actors. A lot of the acting in Vietnamese films is very melodramatic because many of the actors come from the stage. So we decided to make the acting real, go with untrained actors, work with them for two months, and get them into the role.

Film acting in Viet Nam has a long way to go. There's got to be more people coming from overseas and collaborating with these young actors. There's potential, it's just hard to get that real sensibility that is often found in international films.