Sad news: The father of "Saigon Commandos" - director Long Van passed away at the ag.e of 87

After a period of struggling with illness at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Hospital, director Long Van of Saigon Rangers passed away at around 8:00 a.m. on December 24, at the ag.e of 87.

Confirming with PV VTC News, screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha said that director Long Van passed away today (December 24) at the hospital.

Ms. Trinh Thanh Nha said that when she heard the news of director Long Van's deat.h, she was extremely shocked and took a while to call his wife, artist Kim Cuong, to ask about her.

"Hearing Ms. Kim Cuong cry broke my heart. Mr. Long Van had been sick for a long time, and I had visited him at home a few times. Knowing he was hospitalized, I promised myself I would come visit, but calling her several times was unsuccessful. So I don't know where to go to visit. Now I hear that he has gone away," she said.

Accordingly, Trinh Thanh Nha said that she knew director Long Van through her husband, screenwriter Le Phuong. In the last years of his life, director Van Long had to use a wheelchair due to a leg acciden.t. His wife, artist Kim Cuong, took care of and supported the director at his home on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hanoi. After her husband passed away, artist Kim Cuong was very heartbroke.n and cried a lot.

Ms. Nha left behind words of remembrance for the late director: "So the couple in the film industry, Long Van - Le Phuong, have disappeared together. So empty. Hopefully they met each other to continue arguing. Then, together, we are passionate about creating common works.

It's a bit unfortunate and strange that neither of those two friends had any awards to honor them personally, even though their contributions to Vietnamese cinema at that time were not small."

Director Long Van was born in 1936 in Hanoi. At the ag.e of 14, he was sent to study in China with Professor Nguyen Lan Dung and Professor Ho Ngoc Dai. In 1955, he graduated from pedagogy and stuck with the teaching profession until later turning to cinema.

He belongs to the generation of directors who grew up before 1975. After graduating, he spent 15 years working as deputy director for a class of senior directors such as Pham Ky Nam, Huy Thanh, Bach Diep, Nong Ich Dat...

His first directorial film was The Call Ahead in 1979, written by writer Phu Thang, and won the International Film Festival awar.d in Moscow.

However, director Long Van's name seemed to shine in the cinematic sky after the movie Saigon Rangers , the first color film of Vietnam's revolutionary cinema, was released in 1985.

The film about the Saigon special forces directed by Long Van, released in 1986, set many records for the number of viewers, caused a stir in public opinion and was the launching pad for a series of actors from main roles to supporting roles.

Saigon Rangers includes 4 episodes: Rendezvous, Silence, Storm and Give me back my name. The film was written by Le Phuong and Nguyen Thanh and directed by Long Van. The film was filmed in 1982 and lasted about 4 years.

The exciting action movie set an audience record when it had tens of millions of viewers in the late 80s of the last century.

Until now, the actors he selected to play the main roles in the movie Saigon Rangers have all become "nailed" roles in the hearts of audiences such as Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan with the role of nun Huyen Trang, Meritorious Artist Quang Thai as Tu Chung, Meritorious Artist Ha Xuyen as Ngoc Mai, artist Thuong Tin as Sau Tam...

In addition, the late director is also the "father" of the films: See You Again in Saigon, Liberation of Saigon, Children of the Saigon Commandos, For All Tomorrow, Meeting Place of Love, People don't have a last name. ..

Even though he is nearly 90 years old, director Long Van is still very clear-headed. However, a few years ago, a traffic acciden.t made it difficult for him to move, and all his activities were spent in a small attic on Nguyen Thai Hoc street. However, he is very happy to have a loving wife who is always devoted to taking care of his health early in life, and to have a successful and filial daughter who always takes care of the old life of the priest and his wife. to act.

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