Back to the movie screen - Part 2: Behind the screen

QTO - In Quang Tri province, many villages still have many difficulties in accessing cultural information, especially in areas considered "lowlands" for phone and internet signals. Therefore, the films of mobile film teams (CPLĐ) are always an indispensable "spiritual food" for people in the highlands. And to have those films broadcast requires the efforts and overcoming difficulties of many people.

>>> Lesson 1: Up the map... watch movie

Behind every movie screening is the effort and hard work of many people - Photo: TA

People who "carry films" up the mountain

It was late at night in Ban Lom. The big screen lights were off but the people were still lingering, not wanting to leave. Mrs. Ho Thi Duong walked over and held the hands of each member of CPLD Team No. 1, North Quang Tri , without saying anything but her eyes were filled with so many things.

She couldn’t remember how old she was, but when asked about the film crew, Ms. Duong told them clearly, each face and each name. Her eyes were filled with affection when she mentioned Mr. Dinh Minh Hieu (born in 1964), who had many times “carried films” across the mountains and forests to the remote Lom village.

38 years in the profession, Mr. Hieu's youth was almost entirely spent on filming trips up mountains and through forests. He knows every road, every village, every family he has visited. His hair has turned gray, his legs are no longer as agile as when he was young, but his eyes still shine with joy and determination every time the projection screen lights up at night.

He said that after nearly 40 years in the profession, many of his colleagues have retired, but he still wants to stay with his people longer. "As long as I have the strength, I still want to go, because the people need me. Every time I see the village light up at the movie night, I feel that my job is meaningful," Mr. Hieu smiled gently.

Mr. Dinh Minh Hieu has been involved in the mobile cinema industry for 38 years - Photo TA

Like Mr. Hieu, Mr. Tran Van Hoan (born in 1990) also chose the CPLD profession as a fate. In CPLD Team No. 2 of Nam Quang Tri, Mr. Hoan is the youngest person. Only 35 years old, he has spent more than 10 years traveling to the mountains to show movies.

In the early days of his career, the machines were rudimentary and the roads were dangerous, but he never faltered. Loving his job, he devoted all his heart to each trip. From preserving the projector, arranging the films, to adjusting each frame, sound, and light, he was careful and meticulous.

"Every year, I go to film screenings with the crew for 9 times, each time for 18-20 days. In total, I spend nearly 9 months of the year away from my family, living with my fellow countrymen in remote villages. The lives of CPLĐ workers are inherently difficult. On long trips, we travel hundreds of kilometers during the day, and at night we set up curtains, connect electricity, install machines, etc., and eat and sleep with the locals in simple stilt houses.

Many meals were hasty with just a few packs of instant noodles, but when the projector was turned on, the clapping and laughter of the people made all the hardships disappear. Traveling a lot becomes familiar, sometimes when I return to the plains, I miss the laughter of children, the bustling conversation in front of the screen," Mr. Hoan shared.

For Mr. Hieu, Mr. Hoan and many other film projection team members, each trip not only brings films to the people but is also an opportunity to share and listen to everyday stories in the village. Throughout the years of working in this profession, they understand that they have chosen a path less traveled, but full of meaning. And there, in the middle of the remote mountains and forests, the films they bring have "sown" joy, trust and hope for many people.

Preparations before the movie screening - Photo TA

Keep the light in the jungle

If for people in the lowlands, enjoying movies has now become extremely easy with TV screens, smartphones, the internet, etc., then for people in remote areas, CPLĐ is still a valuable "spiritual food". But to maintain that special cinema, the professionals have to face many hardships. Behind the lights of each movie screening are countless nameless hardships.

"In the coming time, we will focus on improving quality, both in terms of content and technology. At the same time, we will increase innovation in film genres in a diverse and rich direction from form to content, continuously updating new films with social significance and high educational content. In addition, the film projection staff are also encouraged to participate in skills training courses, applying digital technology to improve service efficiency...", Mr. Duong Truong Khanh added.

Mr. Duong Truong Khanh, Deputy Director of the Center for Culture and Cinema, shared: Working as a CPLĐ means accepting to be attached to challenging trips. The area is large, the mountains are high, the forests are deep, the weather is harsh, the rain and sunshine are unpredictable. There are many places where the roads are small and steep, cars carrying equipment cannot enter, they have to be transported by motorbike, sometimes even walking 4-5 kilometers like in Doong village, Thuong Trach commune or having to row a boat like in Hoi Ray village, Nuoc Dang village, Truong Son commune. A nearby screening location takes a few hours by car, and a far away village takes a whole day, even from early morning until dark to get there...

Difficulties followed difficulties when the means of transport were lacking and old. The entire center only had 2 cars, which were given priority for special trips. In the south of Quang Tri, 6 old public motorbikes still carried tools through the forest and across streams every day. Meanwhile, the teams in the north had to be self-sufficient and use their own vehicles. Not stopping there, the lack of human resources also made the CPLĐ work in Quang Tri face many difficulties. The force was thin with only 5 teams and 15 officers, while the workload was large, so the difficulties and pressure increased.

For people in remote areas, mobile film screenings are valuable "spiritual food" - Photo TA

Despite the difficulties, the professionals have never thought of stopping, because more than anyone else, they understand that in remote villages, people are always waiting. The films not only bring laughter and moments of relaxation, but also convey the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and policies to people in remote areas. This is also a way for people to access a rich spiritual life, contributing to narrowing the gap between the lowlands and the highlands.

Peace of Mind

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202508/nguoc-ngan-chieu-phim-bai-2-phia-sau-man-anh-6581db4/