Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan was awarded the Medal of Arts and Literature by the French Government.

French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati awarded the Order of Arts and Letters officer rank to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan. Photo: French Institute in Vietnam

The Order of Arts and Letters is one of France's most prestigious awards, honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fields of culture and arts. With the Order of Officer - the highest rank in the three categories of this medal, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan is recognized for her persistent dedication to Vietnamese cinema and her efforts to strengthen international cooperation, especially with France.

Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan served as Director of the Department of Cinema (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) from 2012 to 2018. She then founded and has been the President of the Vietnam Cinema Promotion and Development Association since 2019.

She is also the founder and Director of the Danang Asian Film Festival (Vietnam's first annual film festival, abbreviated as DANAFF), with the third edition scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 5, 2025.

Representatives of the two countries' cultural sectors congratulate Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan. Photo: French Institute in Vietnam

Speaking at the awarding ceremony, French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati emphasized that this Medal is a recognition of an extraordinary journey – the journey of a woman with boundless dedication to cinema, with an influence far beyond the borders of Vietnam. She is also a living symbol of the strong bond between the two countries.

“A journalist once commented that she is the person who watches the most movies in Vietnam. That assessment is certainly not wrong and perhaps that is also the secret to her sophistication in thinking, understanding and always fresh perspective,” the French Minister of Culture affirmed.

Speaking when being awarded the Medal of Literature and Arts, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan expressed that this was a special honor for her. She said that since childhood she has loved French literature, and when she was in university she was also passionate about films by French directors and believes that France is the cradle of world literature and cinema, the crystallization of cultural values of humanity.

Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan shared about the opportunities to cooperate with French filmmakers and French cinema during her time working at the Cinema Department up to now and emphasized the activities that contribute to discovering and encouraging young Vietnamese cinema talents.

“It is noteworthy that with the coordination of the French Embassy in Hanoi, we successfully organized the French Cinema Spotlight at DANAFF 2 - 2024, which not only evaluated the values and uniqueness of French films, of the “fate” from the depth of the French - Vietnamese soul in French films about Vietnam, but also affirmed the contributions of French cinema in cooperation, development and bringing cultural diversity to Vietnamese independent cinema, of which the live documentary Varan is a testament”, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan expressed.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tien-si-ngo-phuong-lan-duoc-chinh-phu-phap-trao-tang-huan-chuong-van-hoc-nghe-thuat-703712.html