French director of Vietnamese origin builds bridge to bring national culture to the world

(Dan Tri) - For French director of Vietnamese origin François Bibonne, Vietnam is not only the homeland of his beloved grandmother, but also an artistic inspiration that urges him to bring the nation's culture to the world .

With the background music of the Northern folk song "Se chi lon kim" played in the Western classical style, François Bibonne revealed his music documentary project: "I was very close to my grandmother. When she passed away, I thought about learning more about her homeland, Vietnam." Those are the first scenes in the trailer of the film "Once upon a bridge in Vietnam". The pace of the film gradually speeds up and a special Vietnam gradually appears through the perspective of a young man of Vietnamese origin: vast rice fields, Long Bien bridge, dances and costumes imbued with national identity. Bibonne describes his work as: "A conversation between traditional Vietnamese music and Western classical music and how they blend together throughout the history of music in Vietnam." The film helped Bibonne win the Best Short Documentary award at the Los Angeles Film Awards in 2022. Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Bibonne, a French-Vietnamese director specializing in music documentaries, said he will not stop there, because Vietnam and the folk music of this thousand-year-old country are still an inexhaustible source of inspiration for his artistic path.

Bringing Vietnamese national identity to the world

"Once upon a bridge in Vietnam" is your first documentary about Vietnam, also the first project of Studio Thi Koan, which is named after your grandmother. So, what is the inspiration behind your documentary about Vietnam in general and Vietnamese music in particular? - I was very close to my grandmother. She was the one who taught me Vietnamese words, advised me to smile to pronounce these words well. She made me think that Vietnamese is so cute and full of happy energy. She also cooked me a lot of Vietnamese dishes, her homeland. So when she passed away, I decided that I would return to Vietnam, which is always in her heart. The love for my grandmother inspired me a lot, giving me the energy that makes me very confident about my projects. Sometimes, I tell myself that if it takes 10 years to complete the film, it's okay, I will continue working until it's done. I am also very happy to receive support from everyone in Vietnam to complete the project. The artists in Vietnam have encouraged me a lot, willing to share with me their knowledge of Vietnamese music and history. My wonderful friends at the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, the Vietnamese pipa and pianist artists have inspired me and helped me connect with my roots. Why did you choose Vietnamese folk music as the theme to introduce to the world? How do you feel when your work about Vietnam is recognized by international experts? - The main philosophy of my film is the desire to connect France and Vietnam through music, along with the journey to find one's roots. In my opinion, people need to build a bridge to stimulate the desire to learn about another culture. This is why I started by introducing the symphony orchestra in Hanoi and then moved on to Vietnamese traditional culture and music. I think foreigners need a similarity in a new culture to stimulate their curiosity, then lead them to Vietnamese culture.

Very "Vietnamese" images in the movie "Once upon a bridge in Vietnam" (Photo: Youtube).

After completing this first project, I went to many countries including the US, UK, Belgium to show the film. Both Columbia University and Harvard University in the US invited me to participate and I was very happy to be able to introduce Vietnam to the world. When I won the award, I was very happy because it meant that this project was also interesting, inspiring and entertaining for people who were not too familiar with Vietnamese culture. One of my main goals was to make a good film for everyone. I think Vietnam is a country that everyone will love and music is a way to connect people regardless of their origin, so I am not surprised that it was so effective. As an artist, it is also important to be recognized. Do you plan to continue making films about Vietnamese folk music in the future? - In 2023, I started a new project called "The Symphony Wins" about football in Vietnam. This can be considered the second episode of the first project. This new film will also use Vietnamese background music including gong music and other traditional Vietnamese music. The idea of this new film is to connect sports and music, and show why football players can be considered artists. I want to make a really good film to help foreigners understand more about Vietnamese football through music. I think that Vietnam's traditional heritage and materials are now very well preserved thanks to digital archives, sheet music, and recordings. But it would be interesting if contemporary artists use these resources to create new music and enhance their creativity. For example, it would be great to combine traditional music with hip hop or jazz. In my opinion, music has no borders. Many Vietnamese artists have successfully combined Western classical music, electronic music with Vietnamese folk music. Or they have also been very successful in modernizing music played from traditional instruments such as the pipa. I want to introduce this to the world. Many songs have given me energy to create art. I think I got "goosebumps" when I heard the song called "Vietnamese". When I heard this song, I decided to learn more about Vietnamese music. Now, I am more interested in rhythm, I want to know more about drums and gongs. In your opinion, what aspects of Vietnam can be introduced to the world and attract people around the world? What uniqueness of Vietnam can be the brand of this country? - I think my new film about football in Vietnam could be a great way to connect Vietnam and the world, using catchy folk music and inspiring people who play football in urban and rural Vietnam. For me, the uniqueness of contemporary Vietnam is its fashion , dance and efforts to empower women; it could be the subject of my third documentary about Vietnamese culture.

In the project "The Symphony Wins", Bibonne wants people around the world to know more about Vietnamese football through music (Photo: Youtube).

"I have become part of the Vietnamese community"

You returned and lived in Vietnam for quite a long time while making the film. How was the Vietnam in your imagination different from the Vietnam in reality? - In my imagination before, Vietnam was like a dream, a country very far away from me with beautiful nature, friendly people and lovely cities like Hanoi. I have a deep insight into Vietnamese culture thanks to my grandmother and I experienced it firsthand when I returned to my homeland. It can be said that I have become a part of the Vietnamese community abroad. Now whenever I travel in Europe, I meet Vietnamese people and I also love to participate in events related to Vietnam. I don't have enough words to explain, it can be said that it was like a magical intuition telling me when I returned to Vietnam that I needed to make a film about music in this beautiful country, rich in history and culture. This intuition was so strong that I decided to book a ticket back to Vietnam after my internship in Paris and arrived right before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in late February 2020. I had a very interesting and unique experience: Despite the pandemic, Vietnamese people were very excited to meet a young French-Vietnamese man who wanted to know more about his roots. I learned a lot from them.

Bibonne was moved when he was welcomed by the Vietnamese people on his journey to find his roots (Photo: Character provided).

What characteristic of Vietnam left the deepest impression on you? - I think it is the rhythm of society. Everything in Vietnam happens faster and more hurriedly than in Europe. I think my strongest impression is the atmosphere in Vietnam and the way this country warmly welcomes a person living far away from home like me. My most memorable memory in Vietnam was when I participated in a music festival called "Thanh Am Xanh - Music leads the green forest". This is a non-profit music project established to raise funds for the project of planting 1 million bamboo trees. We went to Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai to organize the music festival, it was a wonderful journey when I witnessed and felt with my own eyes the vibrant cultures and friendly people of the ethnic groups in Vietnam. One late afternoon, right before sunset, we went into the bamboo forest to film a music clip, the sun was so warm that the bamboo trees turned orange, the scene was amazing. I was also deeply impressed with many trips to visit Bac Giang, Nam Dinh, Kon Tum, Pleiku... I really want to go back to the Central Highlands and visit Da Lat as well as the surrounding areas. I also know a little about the South and the Mekong Delta, I also want to go to those places in the future. What is the most Vietnamese characteristic in your personality? - I don't know if it is a common characteristic of Vietnamese people or not, but my grandmother once said this: When I want something, I will act immediately! I am also very spontaneous, I don't think too much before doing it. I think Vietnamese people tend to act while French people tend to be more theoretical and thoughtful. I also try to relax in every situation and live altruistically. I like to look forward, I think about the future more than the past and I think Vietnamese people are the same. Your grandmother cooked you many delicious dishes and when you returned to Vietnam, you also experienced the proud cuisine of your homeland. What dish do you like the most? - I love soups. So I guess I would choose Bun Ca, Bun Rieu, Bun Bo Hue , Bun Moc… I always add garlic and lemon to my dishes, which is very healthy. Vietnamese food is very fresh and delicious. I also like fried spring rolls with bun cha, nem lui. I like to eat hot pot with friends, it is a very fun and happy experience.

Vietnam as one big family

What characteristics of Vietnam make young Vietnamese people not feel lost when returning to the country? How have you adapted to the Vietnamese lifestyle? - I think it is the Vietnamese people. It is the way people in this country talk to you, the conversations are always filled with the family spirit in every word. That makes you feel that the person opposite you is like an uncle or a grandmother or a member of a big family. I feel the mutual care between people in Vietnam even though the pace of life here is very busy and hectic. I feel welcomed on the journey to find my roots and that is a wonderful thing.

Bibonne hopes to continue returning to Vietnam to make documentaries to bring national identity to the world (Photo: Character provided).

Over the years, Vietnam has always welcomed overseas Vietnamese to contribute to the country's development. In your opinion, how can young people of Vietnamese origin around the world contribute to the development of Vietnam today? - I think they are doing well, I advise young people of Vietnamese origin to join groups and organizations about Vietnam in the country and region where they live to learn more about their homeland through humorous and inspiring stories. I have discovered that if people want to be closer to their homeland, they need to have a spirit of learning. Therefore, I think young people only need to have love for their roots, then something will definitely happen. In my opinion, in Vietnam, the economy is growing rapidly and everyone is showing interest in your creative and business projects. This brings great opportunities for you to develop in this country. We have just experienced a meaningful Lunar New Year holiday. In your opinion, what is the difference between Tet in Vietnam and Tet in France? - I have celebrated Tet in both Vietnam and France. In Vietnam, the festive atmosphere is bustling, we can feel Tet everywhere, in every corner of the city. In France, you need to go to areas with Asian communities, but there is also a lot of joy and events that can last almost 2 months in Paris depending on the community. On the occasion of Tet this year, I am proud to announce that I will participate in organizing a big event to celebrate Tet in Paris, scheduled to take place on February 22 at the 13th District City Hall. An interesting memory is that when I celebrated Tet in Vietnam in 2021, the city implemented a lockdown to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic. Everyone in the building cooked banh chung. We ate this dish every day for a week. It is a memory that I will never forget. Thank you for the interview!

Editorial: Over the years, the Vietnamese community abroad has continued to grow in both quantity and quality. They have not only deeply integrated into the host society but also increasingly turned towards their homeland, becoming an inseparable part and an important resource of the Vietnamese ethnic community, actively participating in the process of building and developing the country. The Vietnamese community abroad has made important contributions in introducing beautiful images of Vietnam to international friends, and is an important bridge for Vietnam's relations with other countries. And although living all over the world, they still preserve the "Vietnamese soul", Vietnamese language, and Vietnamese culture through many different ways. Dan Tri Newspaper respectfully presents to readers a series of articles "Homeland in the heart" , introducing Vietnamese people and people of Vietnamese origin living abroad who always turn towards their roots and wish to do something to contribute to their beloved homeland.

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Duc Hoang - Dantri.com.vn

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