From “Peach, Pho and Piano”, the audience revisits “Hanoi in Winter of 1946”

On March 3, an exchange session with the theme "From " Hanoi in the winter of 1946" to "Peach, pho and piano" took place in Hanoi. During the program, the audience met and talked with two sons of Hanoi: People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh - director of the film "Hanoi in the winter of 1946" and Meritorious Artist Phi Tien Son - director of the film "Peach, pho and piano".

The meeting attracted a large number of young audiences interested in historical issues and historical films. Many viewers were delighted by the new connection and similarities between the two films, in addition to having the same historical context.

A large audience of young people attended the exchange.

“Hanoi in the winter of 1946” and “Peach, Pho and Piano” have a special connection with each other. “Peach, Pho and Piano” is a film set in the context of the battle of the “Determined to die for the Fatherland” in the heart of Hanoi that lasted 60 days and nights in late 1946 and early 1947. The film has become a phenomenon of Vietnamese cinema during the Lunar New Year this year, especially attracting the attention of young audiences.

An interesting surprise is that from “Peach, Pho and Piano”, many people found another Vietnamese film made more than a quarter of a century earlier, with the same historical setting - “Hanoi in the winter of 1946”.

Director Dang Nhat Minh (left) and musician Duong Thu (right) during the exchange.

“Hanoi in the Winter of 1946” tells the story of Hanoi in the last days before Uncle Ho issued the Call for National Resistance (December 19, 1946). The film’s content shows President Ho Chi Minh ’s peaceful ideology in this war.

People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh shared: "Many foreigners think that Vietnamese people like to fight because we defeated the French and American empires..., but that's not true. The peaceful ideology is the reason why the film "Hanoi in Winter 1946" went to France, Canada, India... and was loved by audiences in other countries."

Director Phi Tien Son participated in the online exchange.

As for the film “Peach, Pho and Piano”, Meritorious Artist Phi Tien Son shared: “What I like most about the film is the dedication of each Hanoian. Some people choose to show their determination, to take revenge, to show themselves as heroes. That is also dedication. But here, the dedication is innocent, genuine, very “human” and perhaps that is why it is easier to enter the audience’s emotions.”

The two films have many differences, but the most common point is the peace- loving spirit of the Vietnamese people.

At the exchange, both directors said that when making films about historical themes, recreating the setting is one of the top challenges. A convincing setting is an important premise for the stages of staging, lighting, filming, etc.

The film “Hanoi Winter 46” was filmed in 1997. To recreate history, the film crew had to edit and renovate many scenes, but the lack of props, costumes, and sets made filming quite difficult.

As for “Peach, Pho and Piano” (starting filming in late 2022, wrapping up in 2023), because it is very difficult to find a corner of the old town today to film, director Phi Tien Son and the film crew built a film set in an old town nearly 100m long, on a plot of land in Dai Lai (Phuc Yen, Vinh Phuc province) to recreate the atmosphere of the fierce battle to protect historic Hanoi...

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