The film "Tunnels" and the re-enactment of war memories in contemporary cinema

NDO - Young people from specialized high schools and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi had a meaningful meeting and exchange with director Bui Thac Chuyen, who is associated with many classic cinematographic works, the most recent of which is the film "Tunnels".

The discussion on the film “Tunnels” and the re-enactment of war memories in contemporary cinema was held on April 23 by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

The event is one of many meaningful activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification on April 30, 1975. The event aims to create conditions for delegates, especially young people, to learn about war-themed cinema and to interact and talk with one of the most creative directors of contemporary Vietnamese cinema.

This event is not simply about introducing a film about the past but also succeeds in creating a strong emotional bridge, linking the arduous yet heroic fighting memories of our ancestors with the hearts and deep awareness of the value of peace of today's young generation.

As shared by Associate Professor, Dr. Hoang Cam Giang, Head of the Department of Art Studies, war, with all the tragic and heroic echoes it leaves behind, has become an indelible part of the nation's history. Cinema about war or any film about collective memories, has never been an easy experience for both viewers and producers.

Because the film is not only a way to record events but also continuously reflect on the experiences of war. At each moment, war cinema has a different attitude.

At the discussion and exchange, Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Gia Lam, former Vice President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, stated that not only does it carry epic echoes, contemporary Vietnamese cinema explores war from many perspectives, delving into ontological experiences, dialogues with collective memories and painful post-war reflections. It is this change in approach that has created a special depth for the re-presentation of war memories in contemporary cinema.

Evaluating the film, lecturer Tran Hinh, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, commented that with the narrative style and aesthetics of humility, director Bui Thac Chuyen has created a calm, undramatic, and uncompromising film about sacrifice, about the cruelty of war, about a world of tunnels that cannot see the sun, but the people inside, who remain there, find for themselves small suns, to hope for and remember, to never forget in their memories and those of future generations.

"Tunnels" create emotional bridges, rekindle heroic memories and inspire the younger generation. (Photo: HNV)

The emotions from "Tunnels" spread strongly to the young generation. Students attending the event continuously expressed their "overwhelming emotions" after watching the work, as well as feeling extremely proud of their homeland's history, more clearly and deeply than ever before, as well as understanding the hardships and extraordinary bravery of "sawing bombs, making bombs, and clearing mines", helping young people clearly see the harshness and fragile boundary between life and death in war.

Confiding about the filmmaking process, director Bui Thac Chuyen shared that the location of Cu Chi in the history of our country's fight against American invaders is itself a story with great cinematic value. "Personally, I feel that Cu Chi chose me to make this film, building the script from 2014-2016 and it is the energy of the story that helped me overcome all difficulties to complete this film," director Bui Thac Chuyen said.

“The journey of “Tunnel: Sun in the Dark” is a journey that I have been through many crises, even depression and then healed myself. The film shows a heroic and tragic wartime spirit and the main issue here is that the film has truly inspired with many very small details but contains many deep emotional messages with many layers in the film”, director Bui Thac Chuyen confided.

Notably, a question from student Hai Anh regarding the fact that the blind people could not fully access and feel the film made director Bui Thac Chuyen very emotional, to the point that he shed tears and choked up. Only after a while could he express his helplessness before the limited ability of art to reach the majority of audiences, especially the blind audience. Therefore, the director hopes that the current advanced technological support will somehow contribute to the public being able to access cinema from a broader and more complete perspective.

Most delegates highly agreed that "Tunnels" is one of the rare recent films about revolutionary war with good quality and bringing genuine emotions, reminiscent of classic films of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema, successfully depicting the "spirit, will and intelligence" of the Vietnamese people in combat, forever illuminating the spirit of "The darkest place is the brightest place", where the will and belief in victory are tempered.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/phim-dia-dao-va-su-tai-hien-ky-uc-chien-tranh-trong-dien-anh-duong-dai-post874693.html