Opening of "Vietnamese Cinema - Journey of Light" Week in France

The event is co-organized by the Vietnam Film Promotion and Development Association (VFDA) and AVSE Global, under the auspices of the Embassy of Vietnam in France.

Attending the opening ceremony were Mr. Dinh Toan Thang, Ambassador of Vietnam to France; Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Ambassador, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to UNESCO; Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Promotion and Development Association (VFDA); Major General Do Trieu Phong, Director of the Public Security Communications Department; Professor Nguyen Duc Khuong, Executive Director of EMLV Business School (France), President of AVSE Global; along with representatives of agencies, numerous directors, film producers, famous artists, domestic and international press and media agencies.

Impressions of — Representatives of the Organizing Committee of "Vietnam Cinema Week - Journey of Light" - Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang and VFDA President Ngo Phuong Lan.

The event attracted more than 2,700 audiences from 23 countries, creating a vibrant cultural and artistic exchange space between the French public, the Vietnamese community and Vietnamese cinema lovers in Europe. About 200 volunteers from many countries accompanied and supported the organization, contributing to demonstrating the spirit of solidarity and strongly spreading Vietnamese cultural values.

Mr. Dinh Toan Thang, Ambassador of Vietnam to France said: “The Vietnamese Cinema Week in Paris is a very big, very important and meaningful event about Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese art, and Vietnamese cinema, highly appreciated by the French public as well as French public opinion. We hope that this will be an unforgettable mark on the path of Vietnamese cinema as well as the Vietnam-France exchange on cinema and culture and art in general.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan shared: This Vietnam Cinema Week in Paris is a major Vietnamese cinema event, held in the City of Light, Paris, right on the year Vietnam celebrates the 50th anniversary of national reunification and the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The event is held right in December, when the world remembers the 130th anniversary of the birth of cinema by the Lumière brothers - an art form that has contributed to changing human history, enriching the inner world and life.

According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, the Vietnamese Cinema Week in Paris is like a miniature film festival, with a solemn opening ceremony, screenings of outstanding Vietnamese films over the past half century, meetings with directors and artists, and discussions on Vietnam-France cooperation in film production and film training. And the special "gift" brought by the Organizing Committee to Paris is "classic" Vietnamese films, art films that have been successful at many film festivals and two "blockbuster" Vietnamese films that have created a fever, attracting tens of millions of viewers in September and October 2025 in Vietnam, premiering internationally for the first time: "Fight to the death"; "Red Rain".

The opening of the event night was a unique "symphony" told through cinema and music , taking the audience on an emotional journey throughout the history of Vietnamese cinema. Familiar melodies from "Endless Fields" and "The Legend of Quan Tien" resounded in the magnificent space of Grand Rex, recalling unforgettable marks of the country's art. The highlight was the performance of "Sous le Ciel de Paris" through the cello of artist Dinh Hoai Xuan, combined with the string orchestra of the Paris Symphony Orchestra, creating a delicate and profound artistic moment. The immortal song "La vie en rose", a symbol of love and happiness, associated with the name of Édith Piaf since 1945, was performed emotionally by diva Hong Nhung, becoming the sublime moment of the program.

"Air Deathmatch" leaves a special impression on French audiences

The highlight of the opening night was the premiere of the film "Fighting in the Air" by CAND Cinema. Before the screening, the audience also had the opportunity to visit the panoramic photo exhibition of Vietnamese cinema, solemnly displayed in the cinema lobby, providing a multi-dimensional view of the history and development of the seventh art in Vietnam.

Share about the movie "Air Battle" Regarding Vietnamese cinema in particular and Vietnamese cinema in general, director and actor Stephan Ly Cuong said: “I am really impressed. I did not know this story and really liked the way the actors performed. I already loved Kaity Nguyen and Thai Hoa. This time, they continued to surprise me. Vietnamese cinema is developing strongly. I believe that Vietnamese cinema is completely capable of crossing borders and reaching international audiences.”

Speaking about the program, Meritorious Artist Le Vi expressed: “For me, this is an extremely meaningful program. Every historical period of Vietnam – from war, peace to the integration period – is associated with the transformation of the seventh art. I believe that this cultural exchange program will open up new opportunities, helping Vietnamese cinema catch up with the development process of the world.”

Linh Dan Pham, the star of the classic film "Indochina" - and recently honored with the prestigious César Award in France, also said that Vietnamese cinema has come a long way and now has an amazing diversity from commercial films to art films. The actress also expressed her impression of the scale of the program and affirmed that "it is great to have activities like this to bring Vietnamese cinema closer to the international audience."

Director Kim Chapiron, one of the prominent faces of contemporary French cinema, shared his sincere feelings: “I really look forward to discovering more about Vietnamese directors and actors and deepening my curiosity about Vietnamese culture. I think that Vietnamese cinema has a worthy place in France, because the Vietnamese community here is very large. And like many generations of Vietnamese people who have come to live in France, we really look forward to seeing more and more Vietnamese films being shown here.”

The opening ceremony of the “Vietnamese Cinema in Paris” Week is the opening activity for the series of cultural events “Vietnam - Symphony of Love” initiated by AVSE Global, aiming to promote Vietnamese culture to the world through creative, unique and profound forms.

The "Vietnamese Cinema - Journey of Light" Week will continue until December 12, welcoming about 5,000 visitors with 17 typical films being screened: "When will October come", "Wild Fields", "Apartment Buildings", "Retired Generals", "Bi Don't Be Afraid", "Those Who Are in the Mist", "Cu Li Khong Bao Khong Cry", "I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass", "Rain on Butterfly Wings", "Glorious Ashes", "Stay Awake and Be Ready", "Clouds But No Rain", "Somewhere by the Hospital", "Elephants by the Roadside", "Song Lang", "Red Rain", "Death Battle in the Air". In addition to the film screenings, the Vietnamese Cinema Week program in Paris also includes a panoramic photo exhibition on Vietnamese cinema; exchanges and discussions with film-loving audiences and young filmmakers; a workshop connecting cooperation between Vietnam and France in cinema.

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