Vietnam War film ‘Red Rain’ entered in 2026 Oscar race
“Mua Do” (Red Rain), a film about the 1972 Second Battle of Quang Tri during the Vietnam War, is the country’s entry for the best foreign film award at the Oscars.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday that it had chosen the monster hit to compete in the preliminary round of the Best International Feature category at the 98th Academy Awards organized by the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The ministry had set up a five-member council chaired by Dang Tran Cuong, head of the cinema department, to nominate an entry for the awards.
The film, written by author Chu Lai, is set in 1972 when revolutionary soldiers had taken control of Quang Tri Province, the temporary border between the then North and South Vietnam.
After a month in theaters « Mua Do » has drawn more than 8.1 million viewers, the highest figure in Vietnam’s box office history, and earned VND710 billion (US$27 million), also a record.
Nguyen Thu Dung, its producer and head of the People’s Army Cinema, said the box office result « exceeded expectations. »
It was directed by Dang Thai Huyen. The film has large, elaborate sets and battle scenes. While the budget has not been disclosed, experts estimate it ran into millions of U.S. dollars. The crew built a 50-hectare set along the Thach Han River in Quang Tri Province to shoot it.
The 98th Oscar Awards will be given away on March 15, 2026. The shortlist for Best International Feature will be announced on Dec. 16 and the final five nominees on Jan. 22.
By Mai Nhat – VnExpress.net – October 1st, 2025