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Reel Citrus has acquired North American rights to the Vietnamese period drama “Mesdames Thanh Sắc,” which it will release as “Madame in Saigon,” through a partnership with Ho Chi Minh City-based production and rights partner Live
On.
Directed by Thắng Vũ, “Madame in Saigon” is set in 1960s Saigon and follows dancer Cầm Thanh (Thanh Hằng) as she rises through the city’s nightlife into a power struggle with Madame Sắc (Hồng Ánh), owner of the Kim Đô nightclub. The cast also includes Lương Thế Thành and singer-actor Văn Mai Hương. The film opened in Vietnam in June.
Reel Citrus will hold a red-carpet premiere in Los Angeles on Aug. 26, with Thanh Hằng in attendance. The actor rose to fame as Vietnam’s preeminent supermodel in the 2010s before moving into dramatic film roles, with credits including “Mẹ chồng” (“Mother-in-Law”) and “Những cô gái chân dài.” She has also served as a longtime judge on “Vietnam’s Next Top Model.”
Following the premiere, Thanh Hằng will join a press junket in Orange County alongside local community organizations. The wider campaign will extend across digital platforms and include creator support, as well as Vietnamese Student Associations across the U.S. and Canada.
“‘Madame in Saigon’ is exactly the kind of story we built Reel Citrus to champion, bold, unapologetically Vietnamese, and made to travel,” said Brittany Tran, executive director of Reel Citrus.
“Our job is to build the audience around the film to make sure our communities see themselves on screen and show up for each other. Partnering with Live On to bring this film and Thanh Hằng to North American audiences is a milestone for us, and just the beginning,” Tran added.
Founded in 2025, Reel Citrus has previously led theatrical marketing campaigns for “Leaving Mom” and “Ancestral Home.” Its next release, “Summer School, 2001,” is slated for October.
The deal marks Live On’s first U.S. collaboration and its debut in the North American theatrical market. The Ho Chi Minh City studio has spent more than a decade producing multi-genre Vietnamese films.
The film opens across North America on Aug. 28.
