The action film Ranh Gioi Trang Den (Boundary of Black and White), which marks the first co-operation between the Vietnamese and Indonesian film industries, will hit screens on July 6.

Indonesian actor Guntur Triyoga joins Thuy Diem in the first film jointly made by Viet Nam and Indonesia, Ranh Gioi Trang Den (Boundary of Black and White)., Photo: VNA

The VND 10 billion (US$470,000) project, put together by Vinacinema and Indonesia-based Jelita Alip, will be shown in Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Directed by Indonesian Najantolisa, the Vietnamese screenplay includes Thuy Diem and Vo Thanh Tam (Viet Nam), Guntur Triyono, Roger Danuarta and Siti Dewi Rahmawati (Indonesia) as well as Pang Swee Toew (Singapore).

The movie centres on a kung-fu actor who tries to rescue his younger sister from kidnappers and gets involved in a fight against drug traffickers.

"We expect the film to reflect the current social situation and honour people's sentiment and courage," Najantolisa said.

Production director Ricky Wong, also from Indonesia, first travelled to Viet Nam in 1996, experiencing the potential of local cinema first hand.

"Although Vietnamese film studios are well-known, this is the first time we've tried to co-operate," he said. "I expect this won't be the last time either."

Tran Van Hung, director of Vinacinema, said he focused on co-operating with foreign partners and enhancing cultural exchange to develop his film studio and popularise Vietnamese cinematography.

"We plan to work with the US, China, Hong Kong and Indonesia on six films by the end of this year," he said, "We will strive to double the number of films currently made in co-operation with foreign partners."

In recent years, many Vietnamese films have been shown on the North American market, including Owl and Sparrow, Fool for Love and Passport to Love.

Source: VNA