Overseas Vietnamese in France are proud of the development of Vietnamese cinema.

Many people, young people, students and the public who love Vietnamese cinema attended the meeting to support the film crews. (Photo: MINH DUY)

Speaking at the exchange, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang recalled the proud and emotional feelings at the opening ceremony of Vietnam Cinema Week on the evening of December 5.

The presence of a large number of overseas Vietnamese and international friends who love Vietnamese culture, filling three floors of the largest cinema in Europe, Le Grand Rex, clearly shows the public's enthusiastic support for Vietnamese cinema.

The series of events and continuous screenings are to tell the international audience about the “story of Vietnam”. Each story told in cinematic language on the brilliant screen during this film week is a “film” in the development journey of Vietnam over the past half century.

Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang felt happy and proud that the opening ceremony had shown Vietnam's mark on the big screen in the French market. (Photo: MINH DUY)

For her part, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Promotion and Development Association (VFDA), also shared her deep feelings about the first "arrival" of Vietnamese cinema in the "capital of light and world cinema art".

Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan said that the domestic film market has undergone a strong transformation in recent times that even those who have been in the industry for a long time “cannot help but be surprised”. She also mentioned breakthrough figures: Hollywood films in Vietnam, which used to account for nearly 70% of the market share, have now dropped to only 15% by the end of 2023, while Vietnamese films have increased to nearly 70% this year.

Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan emphasized that French film projects shot in Vietnam in the early 1990s were the works that laid the first bricks in bringing Vietnamese cinema closer to French and European audiences.

According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, Vietnamese cinema is experiencing a breakthrough development that has even made long-time professionals "startled". (Photo: MINH DUY)

“More than 30 years have passed, a long time to wait for a continuous, systematic, large-scale event like today. Vietnamese filmmakers have brought their works to Paris; they have opened a door. This path needs to be continued regularly, continuously, and most importantly, it must bring along the 'voice of Vietnam' - a voice that has the power to spread, with stories to conquer the international audience”, the Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Cinema Development emphasized.

At the event, the artists shared insights into their creative journeys, how they bring Vietnamese culture into each frame, and their aspirations to continue the dream of bringing Vietnamese films to the international cinema scene.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Tran Nam Chung, Director of People's Public Security Cinema, the initial success of the film phenomenon "Death Battle in the Air" is a step forward, but also a great pressure for filmmakers in their next works.

Major General Do Trieu Phong, Director of the People's Public Security Communications Department, shared: "Death Battle in the Air" recreates a real hijacking incident that happened in 1978. (Photo: MINH DUY)

Meeting the Vietnamese community in France, young actress Kaity Nguyen hopes: Vietnam Cinema Week will bring impressive films, and also a small memory, reminding all Vietnamese audiences living and working in France of their homeland.

Actor Bao Dinh shared his feelings about the enthusiastic love of the French public for classic Vietnamese films or films that have never had the opportunity to be shown in France, as a great source of spiritual energy not only for the actors, but also for the entire film crew.

Actor Hieu Nguyen, who appeared in both “Fighting in the Sky” and “Red Rain”, shared his honor of being inspired by the “journey to bring Vietnamese culture to the international level” of previous generations. He wishes to learn more about acting or production in France so that he can learn and apply it in Vietnam.

The crew of "Red Rain" expressed their honor and emotion when bringing the film to France during the Vietnam Cinema Week, which was organized in a grand, orderly and methodical manner. (Photo: KHAI HOAN)

In addition, the film “Red Rain” by the People’s Army Cinema brought the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” to Paris. The film crew described the work as the largest and most extensive film in the past 20 years by the People’s Army Cinema.

What makes a movie with many "bloody" battle scenes so appealing is that the main members of the film crew are mainly female soldiers.

During the filming process under many harsh conditions, the crew members always kept in mind the mission of continuing to tell historical films so that the public could understand more about the country's history and the sacrifices of previous generations.

With nearly 10 million domestic viewers, promoting the film to a major film market like Paris is a great motivation to spread the image of the homeland, country and the peace- loving spirit of the Vietnamese people to the world.

According to the film crew, "Red Rain" depicts a slice of the "81-day and night war to protect Quang Tri citadel", a tragic chapter in the history of the Vietnamese people's struggle. (Photo: KHAI HOAN)

The exchange also featured veteran actors, bringing philosophical perspectives on art and connection with the community.

Actor and Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi feels lucky to be involved in a film, which is considered a milestone of post-war Vietnamese cinema, whose “cinematic vitality still exists today”. Director Dang Nhat Minh has excellently told the story through silences, the rhythm of memories and inner voices.

Sharing with Nhan Dan Newspaper reporter, actress Tu Oanh said: Among the 17 films selected to be introduced in Vietnam Cinema Week, there are two films in which she participated in acting.

Actors, Meritorious Artist Huu Muoi and artist Tu Oanh share about their roles in the two films "When will October come" and "Rain on the butterfly wings". (Photo: MINH DUY)

Screenings of the work “Retired General” by Director, People's Artist Nguyen Khac Loi and the film “Rain on Butterfly Wings” by young female director Duong Dieu Linh quickly sold out in a short time.

Actress Tu Oanh was moved to see many overseas Vietnamese audiences flying from other European countries to join in the Vietnamese cinema atmosphere in Paris.

Accompanying the film “Rain on the Butterfly Wings” in this film week, actress Tu Oanh highly appreciates the creative spirit and artistic ideas of today's young generation of filmmakers, from directors, cameramen, designers to artists.

This shows that: Vietnam's cinema industry can completely put its trust in young filmmakers with an open spirit towards world cinema, but still always preserve the traditional features and "Vietnamese soul" in each film.

The overseas Vietnamese community in France enthusiastically shares their feelings and trust in the development of the country's cinema. (Photo: MINH DUY)

The autumn exchange took place very excitingly, with many questions from French audiences and overseas audiences, from innovation in Vietnamese cinema language, production techniques and coordination of special effects, the journey of bringing independent Vietnamese films to the international market and how artists preserve their identity. The event also gathered many prominent cinema faces from Vietnam and the Vietnamese artist community in Europe.

The grand and impressive opening ceremony, with no empty seats in the cinemas, and the artistic values remaining in each frame of the film… is an encouragement for managers, filmmakers and artists to expand creative spaces, bringing the image of Vietnam closer to the world audience.