This not only affirms the role of cinema in educating about history and revolutionary ideals, but also opens up new opportunities for this film genre to effectively fulfill its political mission, while simultaneously asserting its competitive position on the international stage.
A reporter from Nhan Dan Newspaper had an interview with Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong about the initial successes, policy directions to promote socialization, and long-term strategies for the sustainable development of historical films, transforming them into a "soft pillar" in the national cultural life.
Reporter: Mr. Deputy Minister, recently, many historical and revolutionary war films such as "Peach, Pho and Piano," "Tunnels: The Sun in the Darkness," "Red Rain," etc., have created a positive social impact, attracting a large audience, especially young people. How do you assess the impressive return of this film genre?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: The resounding and continuous success of many historical and revolutionary war films in recent times is an extremely encouraging sign. Representative works such as "Dao, Pho and Piano," "Underground Tunnels: The Sun in the Darkness," and especially "Red Rain" have clearly and powerfully demonstrated the enduring vitality and lasting value of this film genre in spiritual and social life.
We can see that these films do not merely recreate historical events. More importantly, they have achieved the extraordinary feat of authentically and emotionally recreating the heroic and arduous historical journey of the nation. Through the language of modern cinema, these films have awakened in the public, especially the younger generation, a deep sense of pride and gratitude for the contributions of their ancestors, while simultaneously fostering a sense of responsibility in preserving and promoting the glorious revolutionary tradition. This is the most vivid evidence of the irreplaceable role of cinema as a particularly important means of educating history, nurturing ideals, and uniting communities.
The success of recent historical and revolutionary war films also partly confirms a fundamental shift in the approach to this genre. They have gradually moved beyond the rigid propaganda framework of the past, instead opting for a modern, humane, and more accessible approach to the public.
The positive interest and response from the public, especially young people, to historical and revolutionary films is also an important basis for us to affirm that: if properly invested in and with a suitable promotional strategy, this genre of film can both effectively fulfill its political and ideological mission and assert its position in the fiercely competitive film market.
Furthermore, we need to look beyond that: historical and revolutionary films also play a strategic role in shaping and strengthening national cultural identity. This is an effective way to build "soft power" and enhance the national image in the context of increasing globalization and international integration.
Scene from the film Red Rain.
Reporter: The success of the aforementioned works shows that with proper investment and a fresh approach, historical and revolutionary war films can absolutely win over audiences. According to the Deputy Minister, what are the most important factors contributing to the initial success of this film genre?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: Recent successful historical and revolutionary war films have clearly demonstrated that, with proper investment and a creative approach, this genre is fully capable of touching the hearts of the public and becoming an important highlight in cultural and spiritual life.
However, looking at the overall picture frankly, we must still acknowledge that the current level of investment in this genre of film is still limited. This investment is not truly commensurate with its stature, value, and immense role in fostering national character, ideals, and spirit for generations of Vietnamese people.
This mechanism must aim for three main objectives: attracting creative talent, effectively mobilizing social resources, and especially creating conditions for filmmakers to freely create within the framework of correct political and ideological orientation.
The investment here shouldn't simply be limited to production costs; it needs to be implemented comprehensively in distribution, promotion, and communication. This is a key factor in bringing the film closer to a wider audience, especially young people, who are heavily influenced by modern visual and auditory culture.
In the context of increasingly deep international integration, historical and revolutionary films need to be considered an indispensable "soft pillar" of national culture. Investing in and developing this genre is not only the State's responsibility to preserve and promote traditional values, but also a strategic opportunity for Vietnamese cinema to affirm its unique identity and contribute to building the image of a heroic, humane, and traditionally rich country in the eyes of the international community.
Scene from the film Underground Tunnels: The Sun in the Darkness
Reporter: To achieve these results, what was the role of the Party, the State, and especially the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism? Could the Deputy Minister elaborate on the mechanisms and policies that have been implemented to support filmmakers?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: The guiding role of the Party and the support of the State, directly from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, are extremely important and decisive for the development of historical and revolutionary films.
Every year, in accordance with the Law on Cinematography, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism provides guidance on creative direction and thematic direction for films commissioned with state budget funds. In particular, the Ministry pays special attention to and prioritizes the development of films with themes of war and revolution.
The reason we focus on these topics is because fostering and educating revolutionary ideals and patriotic traditions in the current digital age is extremely necessary. The goal is for the younger generation, as they enter the process of international integration and globalization, to have a correct understanding of revolutionary ideals, a firm political stance for international integration, pride in their national traditions, and thus a greater sense of responsibility towards the community, and to play a proactive and creative role in building and defending the Fatherland.
This orientation not only contributes to spreading the Party and State's policies and guidelines in building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture rich in national identity, but also serves as a driving force to encourage filmmakers to explore more deeply the historical and cultural values of the country. At the same time, it is also a way for Vietnamese cinema to maintain its own voice and identity in the context of deep international integration as it is today.
Scene from the film Red Rain
Scene from the film "Underground Tunnels - The Sun in the Darkness". (Photo: Galaxy Studio)
The film set "Peach, Pho and Piano" recreates scenes of Hanoi's Old Quarter in 1946-1947. (Photo provided by the film crew).
Regarding specific support mechanisms and policies, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has implemented the following key tasks:
- Firstly, the system of legal regulations has been improved. The Ministry has developed documents encouraging the production of films serving political purposes, including the Film Law and the Decree detailing certain provisions of the Film Law. These documents include regulations on the mechanism for commissioning film production using state budget funds, ensuring filmmakers have favorable conditions to create large-scale films on historical and revolutionary themes.
- Secondly, creating a source of high-quality scripts. The Ministry regularly organizes scriptwriting competitions to generate a source of scripts for film production plans serving long-term political objectives. These competitions also create a professional creative environment for screenwriters, encouraging creativity and innovation in conveying historical and revolutionary stories.
- Thirdly, promotion and international integration. The Ministry supports the participation of Vietnamese films in international film festivals and important film markets, thereby expanding opportunities for exchange and promoting Vietnamese history and culture to the world.
All of these supportive and guiding policies have contributed to creating a more favorable environment for filmmakers, helping them to be more daring in their creativity, especially with themes that have cultural and historical depth—important sources that make up the identity of national cinema.
Reporter: The recent success of historical and revolutionary films has clearly demonstrated the important role of coordination between state and private entities in the production of historical films. What is the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's view on the socialization of this film genre, and what specific solutions will we implement to encourage private businesses and film companies to participate more actively?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: The consistent viewpoint of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is to strongly encourage coordination between state and private entities in the production of historical and revolutionary films. This cooperation is necessary to combine the unique strengths of the public and private sectors, creating artistic synergy and sharing resources, thereby improving the quality of historical films in both content and form.
Currently, we are undertaking a project of paramount importance and long-term strategic significance: the drafting of a Politburo Resolution on the revitalization and development of Vietnamese culture in the new era.
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong. Photo: VNA
During the project development process, we sought to identify the causes, pinpoint bottlenecks, and propose comprehensive solutions. For the film industry, we will focus on specific solutions to promote social participation:
完善 and institutionalize mechanisms and policies on social participation in film production, distribution, and dissemination.
Establish specific mechanisms within the film industry, especially for large-scale projects.
Remove bottlenecks in the current Film Law to create a mechanism for close, transparent, and effective cooperation between the State and the private sector.
We believe that, with the new legal framework and policy direction, private businesses and film studios will have more motivation and conditions to participate strongly in historical and revolutionary films, bringing high-value works to the public.
Reporter: What is the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's future direction in developing historical and revolutionary war films? Do we have a long-term plan to turn this into a sustainable film genre, rather than just a temporary boom?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: The success of recent films on war and revolution themes is not accidental, but the result of systematic and large-scale investment in production. Especially noteworthy is the keen understanding of market factors, combined with close cooperation with private film distribution companies to conduct extensive film promotion campaigns.
This is the clearest evidence of the enormous potential of this film genre if it receives the right investment, on the right scale and in a systematic way.
Therefore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognizes this as a golden opportunity to develop long-term film plans, aiming to sustainably promote films on historical and war themes, rather than just a temporary surge in popularity. In the coming period, the Ministry will focus on the following strategic directions:
Improving and institutionalizing mechanisms and policies for cinema: Focusing on creating a solid legal framework for film production, as well as mechanisms for film distribution and dissemination to serve political objectives.
Developing focused, targeted commissioned film projects: This strategy aims to concentrate resources on investing in a number of large-scale, high-quality cinematic works to meet the requirements of commemorating major national holidays and significant historical events.
Our long-term goal is to create an "ecosystem" for this genre of film, where the creation, production, distribution, and enjoyment of historical works become a cultural habit, an inherent need of society. We will continue to strengthen the mechanisms so that historical films are not merely propaganda tools, but high-quality cinematic products capable of standing on their own commercially and artistically, thereby ensuring long-term sustainability.
Reporter: What message would the Deputy Minister like to send to the artists, filmmakers, and audiences, so that we can all work together to preserve and spread the values of historical and revolutionary war films in the future?
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong: First of all, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and sincere thanks to the team of artists, directors, screenwriters, actors, technicians… who have been silently dedicating their hearts, talents, and love for the Fatherland to creating cinematic works of historical significance. Each film is a flower of memory, a voice of the past echoing into the present and looking towards a bright future, helping us to better understand the value of independence, freedom, and the aspiration for peace.
Historical and revolutionary war films are not just a genre, but a stream of memory, a spiritual current of the Vietnamese nation, where pride, resilience, and the Vietnamese soul converge. I hope that Vietnamese artists and filmmakers today will continue to contribute and create tirelessly; that they will bravely explore untapped sources, transforming historical stories, political narratives, and revolutionary epics into emotionally rich and humane spiritual nourishment, so that audiences not only watch with their eyes but also feel with their hearts; so that each film becomes a bridge connecting the past and the present, between the Vietnamese people of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
We, those working in culture, art, and film, carry within us a great mission: to preserve, promote, and spread the essence of Vietnam closer to the world. Vietnamese cinema not only tells our own story, but also tells humanity about a nation that loves peace, values loyalty and compassion, yet remains resilient and indomitable.
At the same time, I also hope that the audience, especially the younger generation, will continue to show their affection, warm reception, and sincere feedback so that filmmakers specializing in historical films have more motivation to create. Audience support is the most important social resource, helping to attract more resources to contribute to creating large-scale, high-quality films that meet the increasingly high expectations of the public in the future, contributing to building a modern, humane, and distinctive Vietnamese film industry.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to support and create favorable conditions in terms of mechanisms, policies, investment, training, and promotion so that historical and revolutionary war films can continue to shine. I believe that, with the passion and creative aspirations of today's artists, and with the support of the public, Vietnamese cinema will not only be a source of national pride but also the voice of Vietnam on the world cultural map.
E-Magazine | Nhandan.vn
Organizers: HONG VAN, TUYET LOAN
Content: KIM THOA
Photo : Provided by the film crew, VNA
Presented by: VAN THANH
Comment (0)