With local culture as the core

Developing the cultural industry means taking local culture as its core. While Europe and America focus on global culture, China prioritizes local culture for development. Audiences will find global messages such as gender equality, individual freedom, the environment, and social issues in European and American cultural events, while messages about local culture and history are more prominent in Chinese mass events.

We must rely on culture.

Having spent over 10 years wandering throughout China, I've noticed that China doesn't build a national culture, but rather a local culture. Each province has unique cultural programs deeply rooted in its local culture. Meanwhile, we're still trying to build a macro-level culture while neglecting our local resources.

Director Pham Hoang Nam

When a province is included in a development strategy (through tourism, economy, and culture), not only the authorities but also all involved parties, from directors and scriptwriters to prop makers, contribute to creating a truly spectacular program, impressive enough to be showcased internationally. The collective effort of everyone for a common goal always possesses unimaginable power, as evidenced by the numerous performing arts programs in China that have captivated tourists. This is something we must learn if we truly want to contribute to the development of Vietnam's cultural industry.

In the process of finding partners to develop cultural and artistic programs that are unique to each locality, I have yet to find consensus. Many people lack the patience to build a solid foundation before reaping the rewards. Cultural and artistic programs must first be based on culture—the indigenous and unique culture of a country, nation, region, and individual. We need to find and build a symbol for the national cultural brand, and only then use "industry"—that is, systematic and professional methods—to operate it.

I often hear people say that Vietnam only needs 5-7 years to have a superior cultural and industrial sector. To me, that's optimistic but somewhat subjective. It's impossible to build a generation of talented individuals capable of changing the landscape in just 5-7 years. Building an advanced cultural and industrial sector requires a long-term and comprehensive vision; shortcuts or opportunistic approaches are not feasible.

The concept of " educational entertainment"

In 2005, I was sent to Hollywood to attend classes as an auditor. There, I witnessed Korean artists receiving formal training in Hollywood. Not only directors and screenwriters, but every member of the film crew was sent to the US for professional training. As a result, South Korea has produced golden generations of filmmakers with blockbuster films. South Korea has spent 20-30 years cultivating its talent by sending them to the US for such specialized training courses.

Northwest Festival "Dance on the Clouds". (Photo provided by director Pham Hoang Nam)

I often mention the concept of "edutainment" in my speeches because I believe that education is the core element in creating a complete entertainment experience. Beauty governs everything in this world . It's not just aesthetic beauty, but beauty that comes from understanding, knowledge, and awareness.

If audiences are instilled with a basic understanding of artistic standards from the outset, their perception of right and wrong will undoubtedly become clearer. Audiences must know where artistic standards lie and what creative limits are permissible in order to understand the value of what they are receiving. When audiences know what is right and wrong, what constitutes valuable work and what is merely inferior, then what they receive will certainly be valuable. Anything meaningless will naturally be rejected by the audience.

What worries me right now is that mob mentality is dominating everything. This influence is so strong that many independent opinions are not heard or are rejected because they differ from what the crowd thinks. The younger generation needs to be encouraged to express their independent opinions. They need to be able to critique, to express their personal views in a way that is both receptive and supportive.

We're not discussing right or wrong, but when everyone has their own opinion, a common issue will be viewed from multiple perspectives and angles. When everyone has their own opinion based on knowledge and understanding, all issues and counterarguments will be viewed diversely and will be respected and listened to.

It's not just about building good knowledge and policies from above, and the talent and knowledge of professionals, but also about educating and guiding the audience to appreciate and enjoy culture in a "cultured" way, even expressing and sharing opinions and emotions independently and with understanding, without depending on the majority opinion, without fear of being different and being "ganged up on".

How can recreational education be implemented? It requires the collaboration of many agencies and departments. Education in schools, the establishment of art clubs, and the promotion of academic talent development are all crucial. We build a solid foundation first, and then, when the time is right, we can consider robust development by embracing global achievements or appraising our own creations based on this well-structured training.

All of these things require a roadmap and thorough implementation starting today.

Start with small bricks.

The Cloud Terrace on the summit of Fansipan has become the stage for "Dance on the Clouds," recreating a Northwest Vietnam festival that dates back 70 years. Visitors journey back in time to discover legends of the Northwest mountains, such as the legend of the rhododendron flower – a symbol of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, the passionate love story of young men and women, the wedding of the Red Dao people, or the emotionally charged Muong Hoa dance. The lives of the highlanders are vividly portrayed in this poetic setting.

The program, directed by Pham Hoang Nam, is performed regularly to entertain tourists and has received much praise from the audience. He shared that it is just a small contribution to the development of Vietnamese tourism and the building of Vietnamese culture and industry.

T.Trang

(*) See Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, issue dated May 27th.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tim-cach-thuc-day-phat-trien-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-viet-nam-lay-van-hoa-ban-dia-lam-cot-loi-196240530205016462.htm