French cinema and its relationship with Vietnamese cinema

Seminar on French cinema and its relationship with Vietnamese cinema" - Photo: VGP/Luu Huong

On July 3, within the framework of the 2nd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF 2), a workshop on "French cinema and its relationship with Vietnamese cinema" took place.

At the workshop, experts and delegates discussed many topics such as: French cinema, Vietnamese cinema, perspectives from both sides; French cinema on the theme of Vietnam - the return to memories; producing art films in the context of globalization: French experience and suggestions for Vietnamese cinema; the influences of French "New Wave" cinema; Varan film style (a genre of films made in the style of direct cinema) and the influences from French documentary cinema to Vietnamese documentary cinema...

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said that this is a very important event in the development of Vietnamese cinema and French cinema. French cinema in the 80s was a very familiar film industry for Vietnam, many French films were shown in Vietnam, many films won the hearts of Vietnamese audiences.

In recent years, the French Cultural Center has worked very effectively. Every year, the Center has organized many festivals and French film weeks from the south to the north. "I appreciate the efforts of the French Embassy and the French Cultural Center in bringing about new changes, introducing more French films in Vietnam. Through this, we continue to aim to balance French cinema with cinema from other countries in Vietnam," the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes.

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Cinema Promotion Association, said: Vietnamese cinema and French cinema have a relationship with many predestined relationships. In the 1990s, there were 3 major French films filmed in Vietnam at the same time: Indochina, Dien Bien Phu, and The Lover. After that, a series of films by the famous French director of Vietnamese origin, Tran Anh Hung, were released in Vietnam and became known to the world .

"However, since the early 2000s, there has not been any major, important French film filmed in Vietnam. Therefore, it is necessary to organize seminars to exchange and increase connections and cooperation between the two countries," Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan informed.

Delegates attending the workshop - Photo: VGP/Luu Huong

According to Mr. Tran Hinh, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, through a number of feature films on the subject of Vietnam, the French have a more sympathetic view of Vietnam. In return, Vietnamese audiences also have a more positive and open view of the French. The history of the French-Vietnamese relationship has since turned to a new, beautiful page.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City Tran Chi Cuong assessed that France is a large and historic cinema not only in Europe but also in the world. It is a cinema with abundant and intense creativity and breakthrough, with a profound and strong role of the "authorial cinema" and "art cinema" trends. The imprint of the director's style, of the emphasis on expressive forms, of the varan filmmaking style (direct documentation) has given French films through many periods their own style, spreading artistic inspiration to cinemas around the world - including Vietnam.

Source: https://baodienbienphu.com.vn/tin-tuc/van-hoa/216389/dien-anh-phap-va-moi-quan-he-voi-dien-anh-viet-nam