Director Duong Dieu Linh's film "Rain on Butterfly Wings" (2024) won two major awards: Best Film and Most Innovative Film at the International Critics' Week, part of the Venice Film Festival 2024.
Seventeen representative Vietnamese films from the 40-year period of reform will be screened for the public at the Asian Film Festival - Da Nang, taking place from June 28th to July 4th. This is an opportunity for the public to revisit quality works and affirmed artistic values, and to look back at the development of Vietnamese cinema from various perspectives: creative thinking, cinematic language, approaches to reality, and changes in filmmaking style over different periods.
Cinema is more than just entertainment.
To answer the question "What has Vietnamese cinema achieved in 40 years of reform?", lengthy and in-depth seminars and discussions are needed. 40 years of reform has been a period of profound transformation for Vietnamese society. Consequently, domestic cinema has had the opportunity to "grasp" stories and themes emerging in this new context. While previously Vietnamese cinema was often labeled as war cinema, with works depicting the indomitable spirit as well as the losses and tragedies of people during wartime, the opening up period has revealed aspects of the fate, thoughts, aspirations, and hidden sides of the Vietnamese people that audiences had never seen on screen before. Even thorny topics, delving into seemingly insignificant details, have been brought to light.
The mark of innovative cinema is reflected in the diverse genres: independent films, romantic films, action films… including many works commissioned by the State since 1986. Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Xuan Thach, Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Science and Arts, School of Interdisciplinary Science and Arts, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, believes that: Looking back over those 40 years, we will see that cinema is an art, not just an entertainment industry, not just a business. Art must progress through creativity in storytelling, in reflection, questioning social issues, and pondering human stories. “A few months ago, I rewatched the film “The Sky” (produced in 1975, directed by People's Artist Huy Thanh) and realized that Vietnamese cinema is not just about fulfilling political tasks, but also about capturing the lives of people. Watching “The Sky,” you will see how Vietnamese people celebrated Tet (Lunar New Year) at that time, how wives visited their husbands, and how children were raised and educated… Cinema is not just about political tasks, but also about recording all memories,” said Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Xuan Thach.
"The Retired General" is a socio-psychological film, one of 17 outstanding works screened at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival 2026.
"Nurturing" independent films
Many generations of Vietnamese filmmakers have been recognized at international film festivals. For 40 years, a film industry has consistently been intertwined with society and culture. A question arises: How can we ensure a continuity of generations of filmmakers, leaving a lasting artistic mark? The answer lies not solely with independent film directors!
It must be affirmed that we have a continuous stream of independent films, from the generation of directors like Dang Nhat Minh to Bui Thac Chuyen and later, young directors such as Nguyen Hoang Diep, Pham Ngoc Lan, Pham Thien An, Duong Dieu Linh… Watching films of the previous generation, we see nostalgia, a regret for the past based on outdated values. Contemporary cinema, on the other hand, lives with what is present, pondering what exists.
But the long-term challenge for Vietnamese cinema, for both managers and those pursuing independent films, is finding investment funds, participating in international film festivals, and only then can it "find its way" back home. Not only is independent funding needed to support filmmakers in perfecting their scripts, filming, and taking their films abroad, but perhaps film festivals should also organize courses, project fairs, and workshops for young filmmakers…
The reality also raises a question: Should domestic film festivals also be an opportunity for managers and filmmakers to consider how to develop Vietnamese cinema harmoniously, perhaps expanding the themes of commissioned films, not just those serving political purposes, but also exploring more realistic themes, delving deeper into the lives of individuals? Agreeing with this viewpoint, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan - President of the Vietnam Film Promotion Association, Co-Head of the Organizing Committee of DANAFF 4, and Director of the Film Festival - stated: “It's not just entertainment films that are popular; psychological films with social value can also reach all segments of the audience. However, we must ensure that audiences have a continuous enjoyment of different film genres. If we don't have activities like film festivals, don't honor cinematic heritage, or don't look back on the journey of cinema, I think audiences will be disconnected from the past, and filmmakers will be preoccupied with chasing trendy films that attract many viewers, but perhaps not every film will leave a lasting impact.”
And of course, with horror films dominating the box office in recent years, audiences have shown signs of oversaturation and boredom with the same old "new wine in old bottles" tropes. Could this be a warning sign that we are repeating a trend of releasing films based on fads, similar to the mass-produced, low-quality movies of the late 1990s?
According to Nhandan.vn
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/40-nam-doi-moi-dien-anh-viet-co-gi-a488710.html
