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In March, the CREATV Company line produced a TVC in a magical location way up north of Vietnam, at the actual border with China. You don’t get to the Ban Gioc Waterfalls by chance. You need to deserve them. And the 10 hour ride from Hanoi is the price your body pays to be allowed to discover this astounding location. Listen to my advice, don’t take the Lang Son path as the punishment will be horrific. This road remembered by the French as Route Coloniale 4, the RC4 became the grave of thousands of men in 1950, four years before the debacle of Dien Bien Phu. I recommend you take the Highway through Thai Nguyen province then up the steep winding road all the way North, pass Cao Bang city until the car cannot go further. Across the Quay Son river, you hit China. The  Ban Gioc Waterfalls are actually a set of two falls. On the first one – to the left when you arrive onsite, water drops 30 meters from wild vegetation, while the second falls… which are shared with China are much wider and water drops the height difference in stages. On our scout and shoot, the power outflow was not at it’s maximum as March is still in the dry season. Come June and you can see all the might of that real world marvel. If you enjoy rock climbing, you will be able to reach the first level of the water system and enjoy the panorama overlooking the site and our northern bordering neighbours. The shoot was mainly marine and involved a fleet of barges as it needed to accommodate a multi-camera shoot of and Epic and a Phantom for all the High speed shots … a Jimmy Jib that came by truck from Ho Chi Minh City, a close to 2000 km / 5 days road trip… and 15 production crew and agency clients from Mumbai … including their lovely and nonetheless very courageous model. The result shows, it was well worth the trip!

Othello Khanh

Saigon, April 2015