After two weeks of release, the film has made an impact, generating revenue of over 80 billion VND, according to Box Office Vietnam. In the film, the musical piece plays during a scene where An (played by Thien An), a Catholic woman, meets Thien (Khuong Le) to return a box of mementos to her ex-lover before undertaking the vows of consecration, pledging to serve God.
In the scene where An and Thien sit close on a bus after five years apart, the song deeply moves listeners as it articulates the main character's inner feelings: "Just about one year will pass / And the dying words will be forgotten / Who still yearns for our love / Just about one year". Many viewers stated that after watching the film, they continued to seek out the song to relive An and Thien's story.
The version featured in the film was performed by singer Quoc Thien at the Musique De Salon concert in 2025, arranged by musician Duc Tri. Director Le Thien Vien decided to use the live recording for the film, impressed by Quoc Thien's narrative singing style. The ballad carries a haunting melody, complemented by the sound of a flute and piano.
After one day of release, the film's music video garnered over 100,000 listens on YouTube. Many excerpts from the music video went viral on social media, with thousands of TikTok users integrating them into videos sharing their emotions about the film.
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Singer Quoc Thien. Photo: Character provided |
The song was composed by musician Pham Duy in the 1970s, inspired by a past relationship. He and his lover were deeply connected for 10 years, sharing empathy and exchanging many poems and songs. On the day she decided to leave the musician to start a family, she sent him a letter, writing: "Ten years is enough for a beautiful love and a short lifetime..."
The musician once stated that he wrote 40 songs for her, among which three songs marked the times they fell in love, separated, and eventually moved on: "Ngay Do Chung Minh", "Nghin Trung Xa Cach", and "Chi Chung Do Thoi". Many generations of singers have recorded the song, with one of the most famous versions performed by the late singer Duy Quang – the musician's son – on an overseas stage.
"Hen Em Ngay Nhat Thuc" is a project by director Le Thien Vien and producer Ly Minh Thang, centering on the story of the main character, Thien An, a Catholic woman living in the Tra May religious village in the late 1980s. One day, she coincidentally meets Thien, a young electrician from another area, and they gradually develop feelings for each other. Their love story is opposed by Ba Hoa, An's mother (artist Le Khanh), who does not want her daughter to be involved with a non-believer. The conflict escalates, forcing An to choose between filial piety and personal happiness.
Musician Pham Duy (1921-2013), whose real name was Pham Duy Can, was born in Ha Noi. He was one of the great musicians of modern Vietnamese music, with a voluminous and diverse body of work. Many of his compositions have become classic songs, such as "Tinh Ca", "Ao Anh Sut Chi Duong Ta" (poetry by Huu Loan), "Nghin Trung Xa Cach", "Cay Dan Bo Quen", "Thuyen Vien Xu" (poetry by Huyen Chi), "Dung Bo Em Mot Minh" (poetry by Minh Duc Hoai Trinh), and "Dua Em Tim Dong Hoa Vang" (poetry by Pham Thien Thu).
Beyond composing, Pham Duy also conducted many research works on Vietnamese music. The artist once served as a professor of music theory at the Quoc Gia Am Nhac Sai Gon school. After 1975, the musician moved to the US. From 2005, he returned to Vietnam to enjoy his golden years.
Quoc Thien, 38 years old, from Dong Nai, won Vietnam Idol 2008. The singer has released several albums, including "Vi Ta Qua Yeu", "Hat Cung Toi", and "Quoc Thien Collection". He is also popular for covering many hit songs such as "Ngay Mai Nguoi Ta Lay Chong" (Dong Thien Duc) and "Canh Hong Phai" (Duong Khac Linh). In 2024, he gained attention for participating in the show "Anh Trai Vuot Ngan Chong Gai".
Mai Nhat
