Late November marked Do Thi Hai Yen's return to the big screen in a leading role, after a decade-long hiatus from acting. In "Quan Ky Nam", she plays a widow who encounters a young translator (Lien Binh Phat) and develops feelings. Her character appears calm and measured against the backdrop of the subsidy period. Viewers noted subtle details in Hai Yen's performance—her gaze, movements, and deliberate distancing—revealing Ky Nam's character and formative experiences. Following "Quan Ky Nam", Hai Yen is slated to appear in director Nguyen Hoang Diep's film "1982" and the historical epic "Ho Linh Trang Si: Bi An Mo Vua Dinh" (The Spirit Guard Warrior: Mystery of King Dinh's Tomb), set for release in 2026.
Born in 1982 in Bac Ninh and a graduate of the Vietnam Dance School, Hai Yen first garnered attention in "Mua He Chieu Thang Dung" (Vertical Summer's Afternoon), the film that concluded director Tran Anh Hung's "Vietnam trilogy" in 2000. Though a small role, her eyes left a lasting impression, seeming to hold something unspoken. Her eyes are neither strikingly sharp nor overly sentimental. They are small, elongated, with a subtle depth. When looking directly at the camera, they create a unique impression—slightly hesitant, a little cautious, yet within them, a flow of thoughts churns.
Hai Yen's ability to convey complex emotions through her gaze became a signature. In "Nguoi My Tram Lang" (The Quiet American) (2002), her character Phuong had few lines, appearing through timid, indifferent, or powerless glances amidst political machinations. Hai Yen hardly needed to "act" in the literal sense; she merely tilted her head, lowered her gaze, and withdrew between the two men. Phuong could shift from apprehension to pragmatism with just a blink, upon receiving a gift, or listening to the two men discuss the future without asking for her consent, adding another layer of nuance to the story of a divided country.
In "Chuyen Cua Pao" (Pao's Story) (2006), her eyes became transparent, always looking up at the highland sky, as if trying to find answers to secrets hidden behind stone fences. Her role as Pao, an H'Mong girl who grew up amidst family secrets, with mothers and wives driven by fate and customs into sad crossroads, resonated both domestically and internationally. In many scenes, Pao stood silently listening to elders recount old stories or walked quietly amidst grey stones and mist. Without many lines, Hai Yen's gaze, a slight pursing of her lips, was enough for viewers to sense a youth both yearning to resist and held back by familial ties.
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Hai Yen in the film "Chuyen Cua Pao". Photo: Feature Film Studio I. |
The inner lives of characters played by Hai Yen in "Choi Voi" (Adrift) (2009) and "Canh Dong Bat Tan" (The Floating Lives) (2010) held more darkness. Bui Thac Chuyen's "Choi Voi" delved into the loneliness, sexuality, and desolation of urban youth. In "Canh Dong Bat Tan", her gaze, filled with wounds, became cautious yet retained a gentle quality. The character she portrayed existed amidst the riverine landscape of the Mekong Delta, where family pain and the plight of scorned women were laid bare, yet she maintained a gentle pride. In director Phan Dang Di's "Cha Va Con Va..." (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories), subtle glances and slight frowns amidst hazy cigarette smoke and music made the character mysterious yet somewhat weary.
Over 25 years, Hai Yen's film career has been modest, with a handful of films. However, almost every project has been associated with awards, film festival participation, or has become a significant part of the Vietnamese cinema landscape over the past two decades. She has been absent from commercial and television projects—where actors can appear frequently, receive regular pay, and gain public recognition. This has made Hai Yen's image distinctive. She takes her time, accepting long gaps between films solely to find the right role.
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Do Thi Hai Yen's portrayal in the film "Quan Ky Nam". Photo: Film crew provided. |
Her return in two consecutive years marks a busy period for Hai Yen, as fans anticipate the stories filmmakers will tell through her eyes with each appearance. Director Phan Dang Di stated, "'Hai Yen has eyes that, with just a glance, people automatically see an entire unspoken story. That is cinema, where emotions are felt rather than voiced. Over time, those eyes accumulate even more stories, more emotions'."
Director Nguyen Hoang Diep commented that the actress maintains focus and empathy even during the most stressful periods on set. She is disciplined in her work, always arriving early, preparing meticulously, handling issues quickly, and maintaining positive energy from the beginning to the end of the shooting day. According to director Phan Dang Di, Hai Yen fully embodies her roles but maintains a clear boundary between character immersion and personal life, always listening to direction, remaining professional, and not allowing external factors to interfere. Upon completing a role, she quickly separates herself from the character without psychological impact.
Nguyen Minh
