While hearing our wish to listen to her sharing about Hanoi in 1972, and her role as “The Little Girl of Hanoi”, People's Artist Lan Huong smiled charmingly and said “my memory of the 10-year-old girl in those days is still as vivid as if it was yesterday.” Now in her sixties, the actress still has a passionate love for art and has never refused any journalist who asked about her life-long role.
Hanoi in autumn, next to Moc Cafe on To Hieu Street, while the stream of emotions flowed, the big round eyes of the ageless woman seemed to light up, she talked about her career, her passion for cinema, and her unfinished dreams. “Remember to tell me one thing, I have never left the stage and cinema profession,” People's Artist Lan Huong reiterated during our conversation.
Remember to tell me one thing, I have never left the stage and cinema profession...
My mother forbade me to accept the role as The Little Girl of Hanoi
Question: Is there any difference between “The Little Girl of Hanoi” then and now?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: Perhaps the difference is that I have gained more weight and have more wrinkles. Otherwise, I still feel like I have retained the features of the little girl of Hanoi; I still have the same eyes as before, and still love cinema passionately.
Q: Were your eyes your advantage in overcoming hundreds of other children, to convince demanding filmmakers like Hai Ninh, Hoang Tich Chi, and Vuong Dan Hoang to accept the role of “The Little Girl Hanoi”.
People’s Artist Lan Huong: My childhood was spent in the film studio, when my grandmother and aunt worked there. My mother was busy with scientific work, so most of the time, I lived with my grandmother and aunt. Perhaps that is why my love for cinema was nurtured since I was a child, when I was only 3-4 years old. At that time, many directors liked me and offered for the casting, but my grandparents did not agree. My mother was even more determined to disagree. My mother wanted to break herself away from the arts environment, and she actually did that, so she did not want her children to pursue the art.
Poster of “The Little Girl Hanoi” (Photo: VNA)
Poster of “The Little Girl Hanoi” (Photo: VNA)
At that time, veteran directors like Bach Diep and Duc Hoan, who had studied in Russia, liked me very much. They always had the impression of me as a skinny, weak girl with big eyes but often wearing long, loose-fitting adult clothes, standing at the window looking out at the sky, face filled with sadness. Everyone nicknamed me “Little Cosette” (the orphan girl in the novel “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo).
One day, director Hai Ninh came to visit my grandmother. Seeing me staring at him, he told his grandmother: “This girl has a very cinematic look, a deep sadness in her eyes.” In 1972, after completing the script for the film ‘Em Be Ha Noi’ (The Little Girl of Hanoi), director Hai Ninh remembered me while thinking about the role of a 10-year-old Hanoi girl.
Around January 1973, he came to my house to persuade my mother. My mother — a woman who was determined not to let her daughter pursue an acting career — protested. She said: “Art is very unfair, when young, you are praised, when old you are lonely, I don't like it. I want my daughter to pursue a career that allows her to work with peace of mind until old age”. After much persuasion, my mother finally relented. Perhaps, she thought that even if I auditioned, I would fail, because in her eyes, I was weak and shy. However, she did not expect that Lan Huong, who was shy at home, would be so bold outside.
On the day of casting, the common question for all of us was about family and hobbies. I talked about my passion for cinema and my dream of acting, of becoming famous like Tra Giang when she had just finished filming “17th Parallel, Days and Nights”. I also told the juries about the movies: And Quiet Flows the Don, Liberation of Europe, War and Peace… that I watched when I was 5 years old.
My mother was very surprised. She said, at home, even if you pry my mouth open, I wouldn’t say anything, but here, I could talk fluently. I passed the first round of the audition like that, innocently, even though there were hundreds of friends of the same age who also had big round eyes like me.
I passed the first round of the audition like that, innocently, even though there were hundreds of friends of the same age who also had big round eyes like me
By the second round, my heart suddenly fluttered with determination to win the role. But there was a sad thing at that time, I didn’t have the advantage of being on screen. I remember clearly, The Dan said to Hai Ninh: “This girl looks very “western” in person, but on screen her face is not as “western” as it looks in real life.” Hai Ninh brushed it off, saying that children these days have to be sloppy, a smooth face and features are not suitable.-
Half a month passed without being called, the whole family was assured that I had missed the role. My mother cut my long hair past my ears to discourage me. I cried and sulked all the time, every day I buried my head in the sink to wash my hair, hoping it would grow faster.
The day the crew finalised the role and prepared to film, when they arrived at my house, Hai Ninh was shocked to see that my long hair had disappeared, while the role of the Hanoi girl at that time was have her hair braided into two pigtails and wear a straw hat. Hai Ninh had to wait for half a month, when my hair was longer than my ears, then filming would begin. My mother was still determined not to let me act in the film. Ninh had to convince my mother: “Huong’s acting is very intense, like a trance, completely different from other children.”
But it wasn’t until Tran Duy Hung, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, wrote a handwritten letter to my mother, saying that this was a commemorative film about Hanoi and that the crew thought only Lan Huong was capable of playing that role, that my mother agreed.
Even later in my career, I never felt completely satisfied with my acting.
Q: How did you act out the role of the little girl from Hanoi?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: The film was shot in May 1973 during the hottest times of the day. I had asthma and wheezed all the time when I had to wear sweaters and coats for the film. The hotter it was, the sicker I felt, my face swelled because of the asthma medicine. Despite being ill, as soon as I was told to act, I could act immediately.
I remember that director Hai Ninh had a flair for coaxing. Prior to any scene, he sat for a private conversation with me. He cultivated the emotions in me, analysed the scene and instructed me how to express the emotions. I loved acting, but since I was then a child, I sometimes went into a sulk, became discouraged or got lost in play, and even occasionally argued with the director.
On the day of film screening, I kept my head down, not daring to look up and watch because I was embarrassed. Even later in my career, I never felt completely satisfied with my acting.
I don’t see myself as beautiful on the screen.
Q: Your role in “The Little Girl of Hanoi” was highly renowned. Later you appeared mostly on the stage and only on the screen occasionally. Did the shadow of the 10-year-old girl role put any pressure on your acting career?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: The role in “The Little Girl of Hanoi” was the first one that I was permitted by my family to act. As such, I was extremely excited and happy. At that time, I thought that I would not do anything else except for being a film actress. And as a result, I no longer paid attention to studying.
My mother was afraid that I would be engrossed in acting too much, so each year she sent me to piano and dancing classes. I met all of her requirements on learning in the hope that someday she would allow me to pursue a career in acting. But she kept delaying until I was about 14-15 years ago, when I got angry and reacted, fearing that I would soon be too old for arts schools. My mother also got furious and scolded me that “Only those who are bad at studying become actors.” So I completely neglected my study. I only went to school 2-3 days a week and did not do homework.
The role in “The Little Girl of Hanoi” was the first one that I was permitted by my family to act. As such, I was extremely excited and happy.
In 1977, I took a role in the film “First Love”. Director Hai Ninh told me that if I wanted to be an actress, natural instinct alone was not enough and that one must be trained to develop good thinking for the role. At that time, the Tuoi Tre Theatre recruited actors and actresses but did not require them to be at least 1m55 tall, so I resisted my mother’s words and pursued a career on the stage.
When I grew up completely, I noticed that I’m not beautiful on the screen. At that time, the Tuoi Tre Theatre and other theatres also restricted their actors and actresses to take part in films. Therefore I also missed a lot of opportunities.
Q: In many of your interviews with the press, you did not hide your passion for dance. You nurtured that passion when you founded the Physical Theatre Group at the Youth Theatre. During more than 10 years of searching for sponsors, working hard to create plays, you also created some debates in the theatre world about contemporary art theatre. Some of your physical theatres have resonated, even being performed abroad. Are you truly satisfied with your passion?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: Since I was 3-4 years old, I dared to dance on the stage. At that time, dancing was just an instinct, I didn't understand anything. After working at the Youth Theatre, we were taught dance, but we didn’t use it much because we prioritised time for practising for plays.
I remember, in 1998, during the break-time, I stood on the wings practicing basic dance. The leader of my drama theatre troupe, the late People’s Artist Anh Tu, saw this and said: “Huong likes dancing, let’s do a play with dance.” My eyes lit up. I discussed it with director Le Hung. “The Dream of Happiness” became my first product with the appearance of physical theatre. With that excitement, I boldly asked to establish a Physical Theatre Group in 2005, attracting nearly 50 people.
The world has had contemporary plays for a long time, but in Vietnam, I chose a very unique way of doing physical theatre.
The world has had contemporary plays for a long time, but in Vietnam, I chose a very unique way of doing physical theatre. On world stages, directors only present conventional choreography, conveying the content of the play. But my physical theatres' uniqueness is that I have integrated my national culture, such as tuong, cheo, cai luong, and pantomime, into each play. I have brought the plays to the National Experimental Theatre Festival, to the Republic of Korea, China, Spain, and Thailand. My plays have been quite popular with many international friends.
Q: I remember that at that time, every play of yours that was released created a debate in the theatre world. Some people supported innovation, others thought that the innovation of physical theatre, without much dialogue, made it difficult for the audience to understand. Which play do you remember the most to this day?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: Probably, the experimental play called "Nguyen Du with Kieu", which talks about Nguyen Du's feelings when writing about the fate of Kieu. I don't know if by some intuition, I brought the character Ho Xuan Huong to the stage. I wanted to create a dialogue about the fate of women, between "the Queen of Nom Poetry" and theS sophisticated poet Nguyen Du.
That play sparked quite a bit of controversy. The review board claimed the two characters had no connection to each other. During the defence of the play, I reported that Nguyen Du and Ho Xuan Huong were two individuals from the same historical period. The play’s debut was postponed due to the amount of controversy it generated.
One night, at midnight, Truong Nhuan (former Director of the Youth Theatre) called me: "Huong, I’ve got goosebumps. I went to Ha Tinh, read an article, and found out that Ho Xuan Huong and Nguyen Du actually had a romantic relationship. Before, I thought you were too bold, but now I feel at ease. I’ll print the article and send it to you." Strangely, I had goosebumps at that moment too. Based on my own knowledge, I only knew they lived in the same era, but I had no idea about their romantic connection. Afterward, the play was staged, and many people found it fascinating how I created a dialogue between these two characters.
After nearly 20 years of performing physical theatre, every production I created with Le Hung made a significant impact. In 2017, I completed my last play about the police force. Since retiring in 2018, the Physical Theatre troupe has not been very active anymore. I just regret that if I could continue working in physical theatre, we would have more complete performances that resonate with the audience's tastes.
Q: Recently, audiences saw you in 1-2 television films, and then you seem to have "vanished". Some said you have retired and gone into hiding; others say Lan Huong is still working tirelessly but quietly. It’s true that you are selective with roles, but has your passion for the craft diminished?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: Since retiring, I continue to teach directing and event organisation at the University of Theatre and Cinema. I taught for a full 10 years, from 2012 to 2022, and then I took a break. Partly because I felt exhausted after the COVID-19 pandemic, and partly because I no longer felt engaged in artistic activities, which diminished my enthusiasm for teaching students.
People's Artist Lan Huong - director, plays the roles of Ho Xuan Huong, Hoan Thu, and monk Giac Duyen in the plays. (Source: Lao Dong Newspaper)
People's Artist Lan Huong - director, plays the roles of Ho Xuan Huong, Hoan Thu, and monk Giac Duyen in the plays. (Source: Lao Dong Newspaper)
After retirement, I did accept roles in films like Tran Thu Do, Living with Mother-in-Law, and Against the Current of Tears, but after that, no directors invited me again. Perhaps it's because I am getting older, and there are not any suitable roles for me.
Occasionally, my husband and I still go to see plays at various theatres. After watching some, I find myself thinking that if it were me, I would have crafted the script this way or infused the character with that essence. While people keep spreading news that I have retired from the profession, I haven’t officially done so.
I believe life has its ups and downs. Perhaps fate thinks I have worked hard enough and allows me to stop here. However, in my heart, I still have many plans and scripts I want to develop. It is just that it is harder now than before because I lack both funding and the authority to make decisions. I am tired, so I am taking a break for now. If fate allows, I will return to the stage and film, and at that time I might work even more passionately.
Q: Do you consider yourself a perfectionist, since you always feel that you haven’t truly excelled in your roles, even as a director?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: “I always feel that I haven't done well enough. When I acted in “Em Be Ha Noi” (The Little Girl of Hanoi), I would rest my hand on my forehead at night, wondering how I would act and speak the next day. It was the same with directing. I’d work on one play per year, but I was never satisfied. Even when I debate with someone, I feel guilty. My only regret is that I retired when I was still unsatisfied with myself. And I regret that when I retired, I didn’t overcome the pressure of so many years to continue pursuing my career. I guess I should be named “what if”! (Laughs)
“Hanoi is very special to me”
Q: What kind of fear and anxiety did you experience as a young girl, who was always dreamy and loved cinema, during the year of the Dien Bien Phu in the Air Battle?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: At the age of 3, I already knew the terrifying fear of war. Just hearing the sound of airplanes sent chills down my spine, and the sound of bombs made me shiver uncontrollably. So, when I played the role of the Little Girl of Hanoi, I performed with the same innocence that I had during my childhood.
I grew up in the Film Studio area at 72 Hoang Hoa Tham Street, right across from the Hanoi Leather Factory, the most haunting memory of my childhood was the smell of wastewater from the factory. However, at the end of 1972, when we learned that the “Dien Bien Phu in the Air” battle had been victorious and that the US had to stop bombing, my cousin and I snuck out of our evacuation camp in Binh Da, Ha Tay, and walked back to Hoang Hoa Tham.
When we got near the Hanoi Leather Factory, I smelled the sewage and burst into tears, saying, “Brother Vinh, we’re almost home.” Suddenly, I found that overwhelming sewer smell strangely familiar.
Having lived through the war, I now see how incredible today’s peace is.
Having lived through the war, I now see how incredible today’s peace is. I have travelled to many places, and found Hanoi still to be the capital of security and peace.
Q: Throughout your career in theatre and film, how have you expressed your love for Hanoi in your roles, as well as a stage director?
People’s Artist Lan Huong: Besides the movie Em Be Ha Noi, to be honest, I haven’t done anything truly grand for Hanoi. Later, because I was so captivated by the image of traffic police officers and loved the song ‘Tu mot nga tu duong pho’ (From a Street Intersection), I asked writer Huu Uoc to let me direct a play about the police. Creating a play about traffic police officers was very difficult, but I managed to make it incredibly endearing.
I also want to produce an official play about Hanoi, but I haven’t had the chance yet. I’m still waiting for that opportunity to come my way.
Thank you, People’s Artist Lan Huong!
Published: October 2024
Production manager: Nam Dong – H Viet
Content: Hong Van - Thien Lam
Design: Ngoc Diep
Photo: Ha Nam, Lao Dong Newspaper, Military Literature Magazine
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