Vietnam Film Institute: A journey to preserve and spread the Vietnamese cinematic heritage.

Promoting the Vietnamese cinematic heritage.

At the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country, the Vietnam Film Institute (Film Institute) collaborated with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports to organize the exhibition "Echoes of the Great Victory of Spring 1975 in Cinema" on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street.

The exhibition displays over 300 selected photographs, printed excerpts from archived documents and films at the Film Institute, summarizing historical moments from the Tet Offensive and Uprising of 1968 to the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

At the same time, the Film Institute also organized a program to screen classic feature films and documentaries of Vietnamese cinema; to exchange with film crews and historical witnesses of the April 30, 1975 victory to serve the people, students and pupils at Nguyen Hue walking street, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, and the City General Science Library.

A large number of young people attended the photo exhibition "Ho Chi Minh City Rises with the Nation Through the Lens of Cinema".
Photo: MINH KHOI

At the end of November last year, during the 24th Vietnam Film Festival held in Ho Chi Minh City, the Film Institute collaborated with city units to organize an exhibition of photographs showcasing Ho Chi Minh City's progress alongside the nation through the lens of cinema.

In addition to more than 250 photos capturing memorable moments of Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City from 1945-1975, the exhibition also made its mark by applying many new technologies such as mixed reality (MR) space, 3600 photobooth area, helping to increase the level of interaction, giving the public the feeling of exploring the history of cinema, the beauty of the city in a vivid way...

Not only associated with domestic cinema activities, in 2025, the Film Institute will also expand its influence to the world through activities such as: introducing 9 documentaries and feature films at the Vietnam Film Week in Greece; participating in the Vietnam Film Season within the framework of the ASEAN Film Week in the UK, bringing to the audience 3 classic works: Em Be Ha Noi, Bao Gio Cho Den Thang Muoi and Ganh Circus Rong; introducing 18 Vietnamese feature films (a record number) at the Three Continents Film Festival held in France, giving European audiences an overview of Vietnamese cinema; connecting world film industry partners in restoring, exchanging and publishing films - which is an urgent requirement of a methodical preservation strategy in the digital era...

The transition from conservation to integration.

In the context of global cinema being strongly transformed by digital technology, the Film Institute is stepping up to the forefront with a clear strategy: bringing the national cinema heritage to the international stage with new standards, new thinking and an open cooperation network, reshaping the story of Vietnamese cinema on the world cinema map.

From a strategic perspective, this is a significant step forward. The Film Institute not only introduces films but also positions Vietnamese cinema as a distinctive artistic voice in the region, contributing to shaping Vietnam's image as a reliable provider of cultural content.

To achieve these goals, the Film Institute has focused its investment on professional activities such as digitizing, preserving, restoring, and exploiting moving image materials.

In recent times, the Film Institute has digitized, exported and imported more than 8,000 films, hard drives, and discs of all kinds. In particular, the Film Institute has succeeded in restoring a number of works of historical significance such as: Some images of the Liberation of Saigon, The wounded teacher, Independence Day September 2, 1945, Cu Chi Guerrillas...

The Film Institute is also digitizing its film archives, including film on tape and disc, as part of the project "Repairing and restoring film reels for long-term archiving and preservation."

To date, the Film Institute has restored and digitized more than 167,000 meters of film to facilitate its release and wide introduction to the public. In addition, the Film Institute has also approached large archives in the world, such as the Netherlands archive, which recently houses many documentary films about Vietnam, including works by director Joris Ivens (Sky on Earth, Parallel 17 People's War, Distant Vietnam and Meeting President Ho), contributing to enriching the national film archive.

With its rich and vibrant activities, 2025 marks the strong development of the Film Institute. No longer limited to being an “archive”, the Film Institute has made an important contribution to building the foundation for a long-term strategy, making cinema, especially heritage cinema, an important pillar in Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy.

CAO BINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/vien-phim-viet-nam-hanh-trinh-bao-ton-lan-toa-di-san-dien-anh-viet-post827817.html