Following in Uncle Ho's footsteps - A part of my youth.

Báo Long An•03/06/2023

Journalist and director Nguyen Thu Trang (Photo: Provided by the subject)

"Love your job - Be passionate and give your all to your career."

The description of journalist and director Nguyen Thu Trang (TFS Film Studio, Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV)), born and raised in Ben Luc district, Long An province, as a journalist whose passion for her profession has never faded, is accurate. From her school days, she deeply understood and felt the responsibility and ideals of journalism. She began her career in journalism at the age of 20, and in 2012, she officially took on the additional role of director.

Despite being a woman, she never shies away from challenging experiences and working at a high intensity. Besides being an MC, reporter, and production organizer, she is also a key editor and director for the programs "Arts and Culture Magazine" (HTV7) and "Peace Calling" (HTV7).

Despite the immense work pressure, she maintains a positive energy, constantly innovating, inspiring those around her, and breathing life into each of her works, especially the documentary series about the Legend of the Heroic Vietnamese Mother and the Legend of the Boi Loi Base, which have been warmly received by television viewers.

Journalist and director Nguyen Thu Trang (far right) and her team (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Ms. Trang shared: “There are countless ways to approach, get involved in, and go far in journalism, but the key to success is genuine passion and love for the profession.” Along with her perseverance came well-deserved achievements such as the Silver Medal at the National Television Festival (2011) for the documentary "Ho Chi Minh in the Hearts of the World's People"; a Certificate of Merit at the National Television Festival (2013) for the documentary "Mrs. Vu Thi Quyen - Heroic Vietnamese Mother"; the Best Image Award at the 1st Rainbow Awards (2013) organized by the HTV Youth Union for the documentary "Mrs. Truong Thi Nguoi - Heroic Vietnamese Mother"; the A Prize at the "Young Writers" Award in 2014 organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union for the documentary "Youth Aspirations";... In addition, we cannot fail to mention the documentary "Journey Following in the Footsteps of Uncle Ho" - a documentary that left a lasting impression on viewers.

Following in Uncle Ho's footsteps

Journalist and director Nguyen Thu Trang as MC during the "Journey Following in Uncle Ho's Footsteps" trip (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

The documentary series "Following in the Footsteps of Uncle Ho" is a long journey spanning over 80 days, traversing more than 20 countries across 5 continents. This requires participants to be courageous, professional, constantly updating their skills in all circumstances, and unafraid of difficulties. It is both an honor and a great challenge for journalist and director Nguyen Thu Trang - the youngest member of the group.

At the age of 30, she temporarily set aside personal feelings and devoted herself entirely to her work, proudly experiencing such a wonderful and memorable journey. "Following in Uncle Ho's footsteps is my youth, my ideal, and an unforgettable experience," shared journalist and director Nguyen Thu Trang.

In 2008, media resources were limited, making journalism difficult, and television journalism was even more challenging than print or radio journalism. Besides content, it required image and sound processing, editing, and production organization. The team had to carry a lot of luggage, food, filming and recording equipment, including a printer. Despite the difficulties, with determination and willpower, she took on two roles: editor and presenter. At the end of each day (according to Vietnam time, this could be morning, afternoon, or late at night in another country), she had to update information and send the finished product back to Vietnam. The work schedule was packed, involving constant travel from country to country, including important locations like England, France, the United States, and Russia. Finding addresses and witnesses related to President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary life abroad was always a challenge for the film crew. In addition, weather, cultural differences, legal issues, and time zone changes were also obstacles that the film crew had to overcome to create vivid and realistic images for the audience.

Alongside those hardships were many memorable experiences, such as visiting a German city to reminisce about Uncle Ho's past activities; stopping in England to learn more about the musician Ewan Macoll - a peace lover who composed the song "Ho Chi Minh's Song"; or going to Egypt to gain a clearer understanding of June 30, 1911, when Uncle Ho visited;... and many other valuable experiences.

During that journey, the biggest shock she could never forget was hearing the news of her mother's death back home while she was in France. However, because they didn't want her to be overwhelmed and depressed, her family didn't tell her. She only found out when she arrived in England. The pain was too great to describe, but she tried to suppress her emotions to finish her commentary and the day's work before boarding the plane back to Vietnam.

"It wasn't until 10 years later that I dared to look back at the photos and moments from that trip because the gnawing longing for my mother never faded..." - Ms. Trang confided. She returned 10 days before the rest of the group; according to the schedule, she still had trips to the US and China to complete the journey.

HTV is the unit that gave birth to the highly successful documentary series, and "Following in the Footsteps of Uncle Ho" is one of their most cherished products, warmly received by audiences everywhere, with all copies sold out at the time. "Following in the Footsteps of Uncle Ho" helps us to better understand our responsibility to study and work hard to contribute our small part to building the country, striving to follow the example of the great leader Ho Chi Minh.

Thao Mi

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