"Peach Blossom, Pho, and Piano" is one of the two state-produced films to be released under a pilot project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

The film was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and produced by Feature Film 1 Joint Stock Company. The film, directed by Phi Tien Son, was inspired by the 60-night-long battle in late 1946 and early 1947 of the Hanoi army and people. The director chose to focus on recreating the scene of Hanoians standing their ground and holding on to the barricade at 00:00AM, on February 17, 1947. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

Actress Cao Thuy Linh hugged a three-pronged bomb while rushing into the enemy tank at the end of the film. The scene, despite controversies, is still an impressive climax of the film. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

Aside from the film's premiere in Hanoi and a screening at the Vietnam Film Festival in Da Lat, "Peach Blossom, Pho, and Piano" only recently hit the theaters during the Lunar New Year. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

Initially with 3 screenings per day, to date, ‘Peach Blossom, Pho, and Piano’ has received more than 20 screenings per day with most seats filled. The film is non-profit, and revenue is contributed to state budget. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

Wartime in the film is depicted through the life of a young couple - Dan (played by Doan Quoc Dam) and Huong (played by Cao Thuy Linh), an old painter, a parish priest, a judge, a shoe-shining kid, and a pho vendor. These Hanoians who love, live, and fight under special circumstances, are the pieces that make up "Peach Blossom, Pho, and Piano". (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

A 120-meter-long and 15-meter-wide street, along with 2 rows of houses were sketched out, modeled, and finally erected by the crew to allow for panoramic and aerial shots of the sets, without modern structures getting in the way. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

Artist Vu Viet Hung, set designer for "Peach Blossom, Pho, and Piano", said the film's 1946-1947 setting, nearly 80 years ago, posed a huge challenge as it was almost impossible to find a suitable location for the scenes. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

"We spent a lot of time looking for an appropriate setting but couldn't find any street corners that fit the bill. Eventually, the producer and I decided to just build the set from the ground up at the studio", said artist Vu Viet Hung. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

The crew spent a lot of time researching, sketching, and building a 3D model to create a historically accurate model of the 1946 Hanoi's Old Quarter at a 1:1 scale. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

(Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

"Set designing is one of the most important steps to create the desired effects, the textures, and a sense of space for the film. We built the houses completely new, and then teared them down to reproduce the antique, mossy, and dusty feel of the setting. All of that took us a lot of time and efforts." he added. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

Set designing for a historical, war film on a tight budget requires careful discussions and calculations on every house, walls, and alleys to avoid wasteful spending. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

“We had to do everything within the budget without compromising quality. Set designing for a historical film, especially ‘Peach Blossom, Pho, and Piano’, is the most complicated part. We had to start from scratch and figure out how to portray the characters' lives as realistically as possible. Time constraint also forced us to speed up to meet the schedule." Hung said. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

(Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)

In war films, explosions and fires are categorized as special effects. A dedicated team is designated to implement these effects and they must always carry fire extinguishers to ensure on-set safety for the actors. (Photo: Gia Linh/tienphong.vn)