The film, directed, produced, and starring Thu Trang, was released in january and is a romantic family drama.

On the evening of 13/2, Thu Trang first spoke about the film's revenue. After over one month in cinemas, the project exited theaters with over 28 billion dong, incurring significant losses due to substantial investment in its setting. Thu Trang mentioned that during the year-end, she had time to reflect on the situation. The director felt disheartened that the film did not achieve the expected box office numbers.

"As the one primarily responsible for the project, I believe I need to face the truth directly. It's not because of circumstances or the market, but primarily because my capabilities still have shortcomings", she stated.

Thu Trang in the film "Ai thuong ai men". *Photo: Film crew provided*

Recently, she has been deeply concerned about her own shortcomings, as the film did not resonate with a wide audience. "In a creative profession, effort does not always equate to success. I understand that when audiences spend their time, money, and trust to go to the cinema, I must be responsible for that trust and affection", she said.

Thu Trang shared that reflecting on the feedback, she realized each setback is an opportunity for professional growth. After this failure, she resolved to study more thoroughly and deeply to deliver more complete works to the public next time.

She expressed gratitude for the audience's interest, including the frank criticisms, which she takes as motivation. She believes the filmmaking journey holds many challenges, adding, "As long as you work with integrity and responsibility, the audience will always recognize that."

In the film, Thu Trang chose a non-linear narrative, starting with the character Men in her twilight years, then flashing back over 50 years to the past. In their youth, sisters Men and Thuong (played by Tram Anh) lived peacefully with their family in a poor village. Tragedy struck when their parents died in a boat capsizing accident, leaving the three children orphaned with a large debt.

As the elder sister, Men struggled to secure her two younger siblings' futures and repay the family's debts. One day, she met Kha (Ngoc Thuan), a rich young man from the Mekong Delta, who pursued her. However, Kha's mother opposed their relationship due to their differing social statuses. Meanwhile, the romance between Thuong and Cho (Vo Dien Gia Huy), a young man her parents had protected since childhood, also faced many challenges when a third party interfered.

The director made efforts in visuals, recreating the 1960s through art direction and costumes. However, the film suffered from numerous plot holes. The character Kha was introduced as a playboy, gambler, indifferent to marriage despite his mother's urging. Upon meeting Men, he fell in love at first sight, willing to clear her debt after only a few conversations, and even proposed she become a "debt servant" to repay it. The progression of this romance felt rushed, leading to many illogical details.

Acting opposite Ngoc Thuan, Thu Trang created an impression of a visual mismatch. Another drawback was the makeup, as Men's aged appearance did not clearly show the passage of time, failing to convince viewers of the character's age. In the latter half, the film became overly heavy due to the protagonist's life being continuously plagued by misfortunes and losses.

Thu Trang, 42, began her acting career as a comedian. After a period in television dramas, she appeared in many films such as "De mai tinh 2" (2014), "Trung so" (2015), and "Em la ba noi cua anh" (2015). In recent years, she has shifted to producing web-dramas and theatrical films, with projects including "Thap tam muoi", "Chuyen xom tui", and "Nghe sieu de".

Films she participated in achieved significant box office success, such as "Tiec trang mau" (2020), which grossed over 175 billion dong and was once among the top 5 highest-grossing Vietnamese films. "Nu hon bac ty", Thu Trang's directorial debut, was a major success during the At Ty Tet holiday, earning over 200 billion dong. In late 2025, she won the award for excellent debut film director at the 24th Vietnam Film Festival.

Mai Nhat