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The event, organized by the People’s Army Cinema, was attended by war veterans, families of martyrs and other locals.

A large screen was set up in front of the monument at the citadel, site of the Second Battle of Quang Tri in 1972 during the Vietnam War. In a nice touch, the first row of seats was left vacant and green army backpacks and white chrysanthemums were placed on the seats in tribute to the fallen soldiers. Organizers had set up 1,500 seats and the rest watched standing.

Dang Thai Huyen, the director of the movie, said after three years of work this screening was the most anticipated moment for the crew. Before the event the crew paid tribute to the soldiers who died during the battle by offering incense.

Colonel Kieu Thanh Thuy, deputy director of the Vietnam People’s Army Cinema and executive producer of “Mua do,” said: “Tonight’s screening, in our hearts, is a reunion, where the martyrs return to join us in watching the history they wrote with their blood.”

There will also be screenings of the film at Rio Cinema in Vincom Plaza, Quang Tri, at 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM on Friday, and at the Provincial Community Hall at 8:00 PM the same day.

After two weeks in theaters the film is well on course to shatter box office records. As of Sept. 4 it had grossed VND476 billion (over US$18 million).

Almost all shows in major theaters in Hanoi and HCMC have been sold out so far, and many people have said they have watched it multiple times. Experts and the public expect collections to soon surpass VND500 billion.

The film portrays the Second Battle of Quang Tri during the Vietnam War in 1972. Scriptwriter Chu Lai focuses on the lives of a squad of soldiers from different regions. The main character, Cuong, a martial arts-trained conservatory student, gives up the opportunity to study abroad to enlist. Under the leadership of Ta, he and his squadmates, Binh, Tu, Hai, and Sen, battle side by side, overcoming their different backgrounds and personalities.

Produced on a large scale, the film was shot on a 50-hectare set built along the Thach Han River in Quang Tri. The production employed advanced equipment, including up to seven cameras for major battle scenes. While the budget has not been disclosed, industry observers estimate it was in the hundreds of billions of dong.

In recent years revolutionary war films have attracted growing audiences. Phi Tien Son’s “Dao, Pho va Piano” (Peach Blossoms, Pho, and Piano) released in early 2024 grossed nearly VND21 billion. In April this year Bui Thac Chuyen’s “Dia Dao” (The Tunnel) about soldiers in the Cu Chi Tunnels in HCMC earned VND172 billion.