Hà LinhActress Diem Hang Lamoon (real name Nguyen Le Diem Hang, born in 2003) is receiving attention from audiences for her role as Ut Kho in the movie "Underground: Sun in the Dark". Diem Hang Lamoon's character is a kind-hearted, naive female guerrilla fighter who goes through many shocks and meets a tragic end at the end of the film.
On social media, videos sharing behind-the-scenes moments of Diem Hang Lamoon filming have attracted hundreds of thousands of views. Few people know that before her foray into acting, Diem Hang Lamoon appeared on the show "Vietnamese Music Idol" in 2023.
On this occasion, the Gen Z actress shared with a reporter from "Dan Tri" her memories of filming "Underground: Sun in the Dark" and her future plans.
Lost 10kg, struggled with training for her first film role
How did Diem Hang Lamoon come to be cast in the movie "Underground"?
- The film crew actively contacted me to audition for the role. Director Bui Thac Chuyen saw my appearance on the stage of "Vietnamese Music Idol" and thought it was suitable for the role of Ut Kho.
How did you prepare for the role of Ut Kho?
- In addition to researching materials such as images, videos, and articles online to understand more about the character's living conditions and surroundings, I and everyone else often visited Cu Chi, consulted with former guerrillas, and listened to wartime stories.
I also prepared myself mentally to embody the character, as for a war theme, the director requires the actors to have good physical strength and strict military discipline.
We underwent many training sessions with the Ho Chi Minh City Command before filming, learning military skills such as disassembling guns, shooting, swimming, practicing martial arts, and living like a real guerrilla unit.
Transforming into a skinny character who lives a harsh life underground, was this a big challenge for Diem Hang Lamoon?
- The process of losing weight to have a skinny appearance while still maintaining good physical strength to "fight" with the role was very difficult.
During the filming process, I had to lose 10kg. In the early days, I failed, having weaker physical fitness than everyone else. Thanks to the encouragement from the crew, I gained more determination to continue.
What was a day of filming "Underground" like?
- A busy day for us started at 6:30 with makeup, filming indoor scenes on set. In the evening, we moved to Cu Chi to film outdoor scenes.
During the crunch time, we hardly had time to rest at home, only being able to take a nap during filming or while on the move.
"Lucky to be scolded less by director Bui Thac Chuyen"
Many actors are afraid of director Bui Thac Chuyen because he is very strict and demanding. What about you?
- I feel fortunate that I was scolded less by Mr. Chuyen (laughs). Before each scene, I spent a long time discussing with the director about the character, situation, and emotions. Working with many departments in the crew, I always tried to focus on saving time and energy for everyone.
However, there were also times when I felt pressure and tension. That was when my physical strength was not improved, and director Bui Thac Chuyen was worried that I would not be able to maintain my health for the project. Thanks to the encouragement from Mr. Chuyen and the crew, I had the motivation to overcome myself.
What have you learned from experienced actors like Thai Hoa, Quang Tuan?
- I admire the discipline in their work and the kindness, sincerity in their lives. Discipline helps drive and control the work progress, while kindness is the energy that helps artists advance further in art.
What was the most impressive scene for Diem Hang Lamoon?
- The most challenging scene was the one where Ut Kho and Ba Huong (played by Ho Thu Anh) got trapped in a flooded underground tunnel. When reading the script, I thought this scene would not be too difficult, but during the filming, it turned out to be a big challenge for me to achieve the artistic and emotional effects for the character.
This scene, we had to shoot for 3 days at 2 different pool studios. It was so difficult that director of photography K'Linh had to go underwater himself to shoot us. After 3 days, we were "full of water in our stomachs," luckily everything went smoothly on the screen.
The scene of Ut Kho being raped in the tunnel attracted attention after the movie was released. How did you prepare mentally and execute this scene?
- When "living" with the character Ut Kho, I didn't overthink how I would perform, what my attitude and emotions would be. Ut Kho is a pure, innocent girl, sensitive to life. So I relaxed, letting all situations and surprises happen naturally as the character faced them.
Not just Ut Kho, all the characters in the movie convey many messages about people in wartime. What do you resonate with most about the character?
- Ut Kho, like other guerrillas in the movie, represents kind, patriotic people who bravely engage in the war.
Especially with the character Ut Kho, she symbolizes the breath of youth, a very optimistic, innocent, and sensitive person about life. Therefore, I admire and find it difficult to grasp the emotions and complexities that surround a young girl coming of age in such harsh circumstances.
Some feedback on Diem Hang Lamoon's performance suggests that it lacks depth to fully portray Ut Kho's character. What do you say?
- I am very happy to receive a lot of feedback from the audience after the movie was released. The words of encouragement are motivating for me on the artistic journey. Critical feedback is also a motivation for me to be more alert and make more effort.
I respect and acknowledge all the contributions of the audience. I also want to share more, after discussing the role of Ut Kho for a period of time, both the director Bui Thac Chuyen and I agree that the character Ut Kho is not a profound person with life experience or knowledge. But Ut Kho is also not a person without thoughts and emotions about life.
The character Ut Kho has a very good point full of feminine sensitivity about life as well as the surrounded complexities when there are too many troubles happening at once.
What are Diem Hang Lamoon's upcoming plans after the movie "Underground"?
- I hope to bring more diversity and color to my music activities and seize new opportunities.
Thank you for the insightful sharing!
