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Son was dubbed the "Bob Dylan of Vietnam" by American folk singer Joan Baez for his anti-war songs during the height of the Vietnam War. Son wrote more than 600 songs during his career. His music is still widely performed in Vietnam and in overseas Vietnamese communities.
The movie will focus on Son's life and music between his 20's and 40's, and his love affair with Michiko Yoshii. In the late 1980s, as a student in Paris, she was charmed by Vietnamese culture, especially Son's music.
Pursuing a master's degree with a thesis on Son's anti-war music, she came to Vietnam to visit him, fell in love and decided to marry him. Unfortunately, the wedding did not happen.
Director Phan Gia Nhat Linh said: "I want to convey his music's romanticism through the movie. Trinh Cong Son had a lot of muses, who were his musical inspiration during the course of his life. The story about Yoshii and the late musician is still unknown to people."
He plans to meet Yoshii to gather more information. It has been a big challenge for the studio to find someone to play the musician. But since the movie will cover a number of years of his life, more than one actor could play the role.
The director has said popular actors will not fit the bill and plans to go to Hue, Son's hometown, to look for someone who can to bring the character to life, from style to manner of speech.
Work is going on to flesh out the movie’s script, and casting and filming are expected next year. The VND20 billion ($862,000) production is slated for release on April 1, 2021, the 20th anniversary of his death.
Son became a musician and lyricist in the 1950s, writing on themes ranging from love and romance to philosophy. His most famous songs include Diem Xua (Old Love), Ha Trang (White Summer) and Cat Bui (Dusts). His Ngu Di Con (Lullaby) about the mother of a fallen soldier was a hit in Japan in the 1970s, selling over two million copies.
Son was also a poet, painter and occasional actor. He died in Saigon in 2001, but his musical legacy lives on, with his songs still popular and performed by some of the country’s top singers like Khanh Ly and Hong Nhung.
