Lotte CEO kneels to apologize to the audience, begs to go to the cinema to watch "Mùi Phở" (The Scent of Pho), and Tran Thanh forces screenings?

Lotte's CEO unexpectedly knelt down, begging audiences to support "The Scent of Pho" in theaters, immediately bringing up the name of Tran Thanh. The incident sparked controversy about the actual appeal of Vietnamese films compared to the brand image Tran Thanh has built up over the years.

An unprecedented kneeling gesture and a heartfelt plea.

On the morning of February 19th (the third day of the Lunar New Year), a video clip of the film "Mùi Phở" (The Scent of Pho)'s cinetour went viral on social media. In the middle of the movie theater, Mr. Kim Jin Geun – General Director of Lotte Entertainment Vietnam, the film's distributor – unexpectedly knelt before the audience. To the astonishment of the cast, including artists like Xuan Hinh, Thanh Huong, and director Minh Beta, the high-ranking official offered a sincere apology and earnestly pleaded with the public to give the film another chance.

Mr. Kim expressed his appreciation for Vietnamese culture and believed that "The Scent of Pho" was a film embodying the national spirit. However, the harsh reality showed the film was hanging by a thread, with revenue amounting to only just over 13 billion VND and a drastically reduced number of screenings. The image of a South Korean CEO kneeling and begging for the Vietnamese film to be "saved" created a wave of mixed emotions: there was sorrow for a passion project being ignored, but also outrage at a distribution strategy that seemed powerless against the market's currents.

Tran Thanh reaches the 100 billion VND mark: When belief determines the outcome.

At the complete opposite extreme, the name Tran Thanh is once again being invoked as a symbol of absolute dominance. While his rivals are kneeling and begging for screening slots, the director's blockbuster "Tho Oi!" (Oh, Little Rabbit!) easily reached 100 billion VND in just over two days of release. This stark contrast raises a big question: Why are audiences willing to jostle to buy a ticket for Tran Thanh's film but indifferent to tearful pleas?

In reality, Tran Thanh's 100 billion VND didn't come from pity, but as a result of a persistent process of building a "brand of trust." Audiences went to the cinema to buy tickets for "Tho Oi!" because they believed in a worthwhile entertainment experience, guaranteed by a series of previous records. Tran Thanh didn't beg for opportunities; he created them himself by accurately reading the psychology of the crowd and implementing well-planned media campaigns. In this race, the voluntary support of hundreds of thousands of viewers is the strongest answer to the question of quality and audience taste.

A costly lesson: Compassion cannot replace numbers.

Looking at the two contrasting images on the third day of the Lunar New Year, Vietnamese cinema is clearly revealing a fierce selection process. The box office is a business entity operating based on seat occupancy and actual revenue. There is no room for mediocrity or appeals for support based on compassion. A touching moment might create a buzz on social media, but only compelling content and a sharp strategy can draw audiences to theaters and keep them there until the very end.

Kim Jin Geun's kneeling may have been a sincere gesture, but it also reflects the impasse faced by filmmakers who fail to touch the hearts of audiences through the language of cinema. Today's film market is no longer "easygoing," where people buy tickets out of obligation to "support domestic films." Audiences are increasingly discerning, and they only spend money on genuine value. The film "The Scent of Pho," or any other project, needs to understand that: Sympathy may create a small ripple, but only competence and a deep understanding of the market can propel the ship forward.