Merited Artist Nguyễn Thị Đức Hoàn (1937 - 2003) was a Vietnamese film director, screenwriter and actress. One of the very first female directors in Vietnamese cinema, and the second after Bạch Diệp to garner significant commercial and critical success, she was initially discovered by Phạm Trọng Quỳ at the age of 17 while working as a Chinese interpreter. Advised by the veteran cinematographer to go into acting, she took up a training course at the National Theatre under the guidance of Soviet director Anatoly Vasiliev and later joined the Studio as a voice actor specialising in foreign movies dubs. In 1961, she was chosen for the role of Mị in "Vợ chồng A Phủ" by director Mai Lộc. The performance earned her a Silver Lotus Award at 2nd Vietnam Film Festival in 1973, and the success of "Vợ chồng A Phủ" catapulted her into the limelight. The actress continued to be the top-billed star in…
