What did the director of Human Trafficking say when compared to Blood Paradise?
On the afternoon of September 22, the premiere of the film "Human Trafficking Camp" took place in Ho Chi Minh City. This is the debut feature film by director Toni Duong Bao Anh, featuring a cast including Steven Nguyen, runner-up Minh Kien, People's Artist Nhu Quynh, Quach Ngoc Ngoan, and others. "Human Trafficking Camp" is set within a surreal detention system, structured as a miniature society. The film follows the fates of various groups of characters on their journey to survive and return home.
To save his younger sister who fell into a human trafficking trap at the Western border, Ny (Steven Nguyen) and his best friend are captured and forced into slave labor at a brutal scam compound. There, they join undercover agents and other victims to silently plan their escape.
"With my film, I only know that I will try to do my best. I hope people will not use my film to make comparisons, nor use others' films to compare with any product," the director said. He noted that during the script development process, the crew had the opportunity to reach out to former victims and those directly involved in rescue operations.
Sharing about the operational methods, movement processes, and what happens inside these networks provided the material for "Human Trafficking Camp." Previously, when the film released its poster and trailer, the numbered blue t-shirts worn by the characters caught the audience's attention. Many commented that this was reminiscent of "Squid Game," with some even calling the film the "Vietnamese version of Squid Game."
Regarding this, producer Meo Bich Trang explained that the idea of using numbers stemmed from her experience in sales, where each salesperson is assigned a code to track revenue. "In the film, the characters are not seen as individuals with names, but are numbered for management and control. So, while people may associate it with 'Squid Game,' it can be understood as a visual similarity, but the meaning of the numbers in each film is completely different," she said.
In "Human Trafficking Camp," People's Artist Nhu Quynh plays a crucial role, marking a turning point for the film. While others were deceived and forced into the camp, she is the one who voluntarily traveled there to find her son.
The veteran artist revealed that this was the reason she accepted the project immediately after reading the script. Although she had to travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for filming, she was convinced by the image of a mother determined to find her child in dire circumstances.
According to her, her character is also unique as she is one of the few people in the camp with a real name. While those brought there gradually lose their identities and are referred to by numbers, she retains her name. "Honestly, in my 50-year career, I have never had a character quite like this," People's Artist Nhu Quynh expressed.
"Anh tai" Tung Mint is also one of the faces that impressed the audience with his spectacular action sequences. The actor recounted that during filming, he suffered a serious injury that made him feel as though he could not even stand.
Tung Mint said the incident occurred on the final day of shooting, leaving him feeling that he hadn't performed the role as well as he had hoped. "In the filmmaking process, there is one thing actors really want: to have a single take and be told by the director that it's perfect. But for me, that time was the saddest moment.
Because when a scene is approved by the director, it means I no longer have any chance to redo it, nor any chance to express what I wanted to do better," he explained.
