Steven Nguyen recounts near-miss with cow kick, discusses his 'grittiest' role in Human Trafficking Camp
By the morning of September 26, after one day of official release, combined with earlier preview screenings, Human Trafficking Camp (directed by Tony Duong Bao Anh) grossed nearly 40 billion VND, currently leading the daily box office and demonstrating significant audience interest. The film marks Steven Nguyen's return following the feature film Red Rain and the television series Limitless.
Steven Nguyen shared that to pull off the bull racing scene that impressed audiences at the beginning of the film, he spent a week in An Giang getting accustomed to and racing with two bulls. On the very first day, he was nearly kicked by a bull. In the film, except for scenes that were too difficult and required high technical skill from stunt performers, he and the crew aimed to perform all action sequences themselves.
The actors had to perform in a racing arena filled with cow dung, which even splashed into their mouths. When filming the scene where he jumps into a river to escape the "human trafficking camp," the wastewater was incredibly filthy. In the scene where he lunges to punch a car window to save his younger sister (played by Minh Kien), his hand was cut by the glass; despite the pain, he continued filming for fear of affecting the production schedule. Steven Nguyen held up his hand and boasted: "Now those wounds have turned into scars.".
Speaking to Tuoi Tre, Steven Nguyen said that after finishing Human Trafficking Camp, he no longer feels afraid of anything. The actor also affirmed that this is the film where, when looking back at himself on screen, he looks the "most destitute.".
Human Trafficking Camp explores modern social issues through the story of people pushed into dire circumstances and their journey to find a chance at survival. Beyond the action elements, the film focuses on placing characters in situations that force them to make choices, struggle, and find ways to protect their lives. Steven Nguyen recounted that he, director Tony, and many others in the crew had previously collaborated on the action series Hung Long Phong Ba.
However, when filming began, he was surprised that the production brought together 700 actors, not to mention the director and several hundred logistics and technical crew members. Before reading the script for Human Trafficking Camp, the actor had visualized it in his head but did not think the film would be so grand in reality, as filming can often involve "cheating" the scale of the setting.
It was that large-scale setting that helped the actor easily immerse himself in the character's psyche without needing too much time to summon emotions. Portraying Ny—a victim of human trafficking—Steven Nguyen said he asked himself countless times: "If I were in that situation, how would I handle it?".
The film serves as a warning about the human trafficking and fraud schemes occurring daily, with the hope that after watching, audiences will be more vigilant against offers of "easy jobs with high pay." While his character Quang in Red Rain was skilled in martial arts, in this film, Ny primarily relies on fleeing and resisting through survival instincts. "And if Quang was a skilled, cool fighter, then in Human Trafficking Camp, Ny is more 'raw' and realistic," said Steven Nguyen.
