(Source: Motive Pictures)

(Source: Motive Pictures)

The Korea-Vietnam co-production Leaving Mom shook up the Vietnamese film market. Released on August 1, the film drew 840,000 viewers in just three days—surpassing its break-even point—and went on to hold the No. 1 spot at the box office for an extended run, ultimately attracting a total of 2.1 million moviegoers. This achievement placed it seventh among all Vietnamese local films released this year, but its significance is even greater: it marked the first co-production in which Korea and Vietnam participated on an equal 50-50 basis. At a time when global co-productions are often cited as a potential solution to the Korean film industry’s ongoing crisis, the success of Leaving Mom offers important insights for the future of Korean cinema.

A Screenplay Attuned to Vietnamese Sensibilities Leaving Mom tells the story of Hoan (Tuan Tran), a poor street barber in Vietnam who struggles to care for his mother, Le Thi Hanh (Hong Dao) , after she develops dementia. As his own health begins to fail, he turns to his brother living in Korea for help. Kim Hyun-woo, head producer of overseas productions at CJ ENM, explained the film’s success by saying, “The characters are grounded in a background that feels real, the tender emotions between mother and son built up over many years, and the uniquely warm family love and friendships of Vietnam—all of which were delicately directed by Mo Hong-jin, moving the hearts of local audiences.”

Compared with earlier successful Korea–Vietnam co-productions, Leaving Mom showed clear differences in its production process. Producer Kim Hyun-woo explained, “Nu’s Family (2023) and Mai (2024) were projects developed with the renowned Vietnamese director Tran Thanh, selecting items, stories, and genres that were judged to have the strongest appeal to local audiences. Our Vietnamese subsidiary, CJ HK Entertainment, then handled the full scope of functions from production planning to investment, marketing, and distribution. By contrast, Leaving Mom was a story conceived by Director Mo Hong-jin, and it became a localized film created through the combined efforts of Korean and Vietnamese production companies, investors, staff, and actors across various fields.” He added, “Although there were differences in the way Mai and Nu’s Family were made compared with Leaving Mom, what they shared was the thorough targeting of local audiences and sentiments, and the comprehensive approach to planning, production, marketing, distribution, and promotion.”

Kim Dae-geun, CEO of production company Motive Pictures, pointed to the “subject matter” as a key factor in the film’s success. He explained, “When collaborating with actors and staff from a country with a different culture, the most important thing is to choose a theme that can be universally empathized with. And the completeness of the screenplay that delivers it cannot be emphasized enough.” To achieve this, Director Mo Hong-jin, who helmed Leaving Mom, spent an extended period in Vietnam, immersing himself in the local culture and weaving those sentiments into the script. CEO Kim added, “The first draft of the screenplay for Leaving Mom was in Korean, so it needed to be translated. We hired a Vietnamese translator who identified expressions that might be natural in Korean but would not work in Vietnamese. With that initial translation, we then carried out a second round of verification through monitoring by Vietnamese filmmakers and incorporated their feedback into the final script.”

Leaving Mom drew 2.1 million moviegoers in Vietnam
(Source: Motive Pictures)

Everyday Characters Who Transcend Language Barriers Director Mo Hong-jin, who previously helmed Missing You (2016) and 2037 (2022), emphasizes that “film is about the power of characters.” He once remarked that he writes with the teachings of his seniors in mind—that characters must never come across as false but should be alive with emotion and sentiment. CEO Kim witnessed Mo’s efforts firsthand. “Director Mo rented long-term accommodation and lived locally, observing the culture, everyday habits, and emotions of the Vietnamese people. He believed that to understand their emotions, he first had to understand their daily patterns of life. So, he observed people in nearby parks, cafés, and cinemas, immersing himself in their everyday experiences.” Through this process, Director Mo revised the screenplay to fit Vietnamese realities rather than a Korean context.

Motive Pictures also supported Director Mo Hong-jin during his localization work in Vietnam. CEO Kim explained that the most important part of localization was “deciding which locals to turn to for information.” He added, “Leaving Mom tells the story of ordinary Vietnamese people, so we brought in a variety of people who could answer Director Mo’s questions about everyday life in Vietnam. Above all, I believe what Director Mo experienced firsthand as he communicated directly with them greatly helped his directing.” Throughout his research, Director Mo traveled back and forth between Korea and Vietnam for about six months to cast actors who would truly fit the characters. He watched numerous Vietnamese films, analyzing the tone and style of local actors to determine who should take the leading roles.

Of course, the strength of the cast was also a major factor. Tuan Tran, who plays the protagonist Hoan, is now a top star in Vietnam, but he was not at the time of casting. CEO Kim noted, “The fact that an actor so perfectly suited to the character delivered such an authentic performance ultimately led to the film’s success.” Tuan Tran and Hong Dao had already played a mother–son pair in Mai—Vietnam’s all-time box office No. 1 hit—and their convincing chemistry captivated audiences once again. Director Mo Hong-jin shared his thoughts, saying, “Before filming, I told the actors, ‘There is a language that needs no translation, and that is the heart. If you understand the character and express it from the heart, the emotions are universal.’ The difference between Korean and Vietnamese is only a brief inconvenience. Even in the animal world, the bond between parent and child is expressed in similar ways. I am deeply grateful that the actors understood my thoughts so well.” For the actors, the language barrier was not a major obstacle. As Director Mo put it, “In fact, the only difference between Vietnamese and Korean actors was language.” He added with satisfaction, “All of them fulfilled their roles wonderfully as creators.”

And among the Vietnamese cast, a Korean actor also stood out—Jung Il-woo, who made a special appearance as Hong Dao’s ex-husband, Jeong-min. Just before the release, he visited Ho Chi Minh City, where he drew enthusiastic attention from local fans and media alike. Fans referred to him as “Vietnam’s national son-in-law,” showing their special fondness for him. Jung Il-woo once shared in private that during a personal trip to Vietnam, he was surprised when so many people recognized him, asking for photos and autographs. That story reached CEO Kim, eventually leading to an offer for him to appear in the film. Kim explained, “We needed an actor who was well known both in Korea and Vietnam, and Jung Il-woo also fit the character perfectly. It was a casting choice that satisfied everyone involved.”

Actor Jung Il-woo made a special appearance in Leaving Mom, drawing significant attention
in Vietnam alongside its popularity
(Source: Motive Pictures)

Korean Cinema in Vietnam’s Growing Film Market Vietnam has a population of about 101.59 million, with an average age of 30 (compared to 45 in Korea). Its economy has grown at an annual average rate of 7%, and theaters are crowded with young audiences. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, Vietnam’s film market has shown the fastest recovery worldwide since the pandemic and is expected to continue growing at an annual average rate of around 20%. This is why producer Kim Hyun-woo placed particular emphasis on marketing strategies that would draw young audiences to theaters. He explained, “We focused on social media marketing aimed at Gen-Z audiences in Vietnam—those born between the mid-1990s and 2000s. From the shooting stage, we prepared a wide range of social content to conduct interactive marketing with audiences.” He added, “Starting from paid sneak previews before the official release, we achieved remarkable opening scores on par with a full release. On the back of this explosive buzz, the film surpassed its break-even point within just three days of release and was positioned as a ‘must-watch movie for Gen-Z audiences to see with their moms.’”

The Korean Wave has already established itself as a mainstream culture in Southeast Asia. Producer Kim Hyun-woo explained, “Vietnamese audiences trust Korean films for their originality and unpredictability, the blend of veteran and new actors, and the consistently high quality across genres. Their strength lies in the fact that comedies make audiences laugh, dramas move them, and genre films reliably deliver twists and excitement.” CEO Kim Dae-geun further emphasized, “At the screening of Leaving Mom, even Vietnamese staff said that from the very beginning they could feel the distinct character of a Korean film. This kind of trust in Korean cinema can become a real opportunity.”

Could Co-Productions Be the Breakthrough for Korean Films? The Korean film industry has fallen into stagnation due to the effects of COVID-19, rising ticket prices, and the expansion of the online streaming (OTT) market. This year, the number of commercial films with production budgets exceeding KRW 3 billion is fewer than 20. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young even stressed the severity of the situation, saying, “With investments drying up, cash flow on film sets has run out, collapsing the industry’s ecosystem to the point where filmmakers’ livelihoods are at risk. Emergency measures at the level of CPR are urgently needed.” Against this backdrop, co-productions are drawing strong expectations as a potential breakthrough for Chungmuro, Korea’s filmmaking hub.

“At a time when the industry faces new challenges—from multiplex theaters to the rise of global OTT platforms—co-productions can serve as both a long-term strategic collaboration model with Vietnam’s film industry, where domestic films hold nearly 70% market share, and as an opportunity to realize the glocalization of Korean cinema, pursuing globalization and localization simultaneously,” commented Kim Won-guk, CEO of Hive Media Corp. “Beyond Vietnam, we are now in more advanced discussions with partners in Indonesia on distribution and co-production, and there are diverse opportunities for collaboration not only across Southeast Asia but also in China, Japan, and Taiwan.”

Producer Kim Hyun-woo also advised, “Building on the strong storytelling abilities that Vietnamese audiences already love in Korean films, if we plan and develop new projects together, exchanging ideas while each side contributes what they do best—whether it be directing, writing, acting, or production staff—before long, we will find ourselves creating a co-production.” He added, “If you have the will, don’t hesitate. Just take on the challenge.”

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