Vietnamese Cinema: Learning to "take off"

The recent movements of Vietnamese cinema show that we are both learning from other countries and promoting our internal strength to shape our own path. Continuing to have the right strategy, the dream of a Vietnamese film industry "taking off" and reaching international level will soon come true.

Scene from the Vietnamese-Korean collaboration film "Abandoning Mother".

Ideal model for Vietnam

In the third Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) taking place in Da Nang from June 29 to July 5, Korean cinema was chosen as the focus with a program showing films produced from the 1960s to the present. Through this, the public and experts can clearly see each period of overcoming difficulties, rising up, seizing opportunities, and systematically building internal strength to reach the success of Korean cinema.

Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Cinema Development and Director of DANAFF III, assessed that Korean cinema is a “great example” for Vietnam and many countries in the region. When reviewing many Korean films from the 1960s, the Organizing Committee was surprised by the surprising similarities with Vietnamese cinema works of the same period. However, only a few decades later, thanks to the national strategy and the Hallyu wave, Korean cinema has made a spectacular breakthrough. The parallel development between art and the market has created sustainability for Korean cinema. This is also what Vietnamese cinema is aiming for.

The story of veteran director Im Kwon Taek, who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at DANAFF III, is a vivid testament to how Korea preserves its national culture through cinema. The next generation of directors such as Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan Wook, Hong Sang Soo... have developed their own unique style, both inheriting and innovating on the rich heritage.

One of the important factors contributing to the success of Korean cinema is the strong investment in the young generation of directors. Mr. Kim Dong Ho, former President of the Busan International Film Festival, emphasized: "To develop the cinema industry, we must nurture a generation of talented young directors."

The Korean film development model is notable for its directed participation by the Government and specialized organizations, such as the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), in building a dynamic and professional film ecosystem.

Ms. Park Hee Seong, representative of KOFIC, said that this agency uses public resources to support private filmmakers, from investment in production to international distribution, making revenue transparent, and creating a healthy competitive environment.

According to director and producer Phan Gia Nhat Linh, who has been researching Korean cinema since the 2000s, this country's cinema model is the closest and most feasible model for Vietnam, because the two countries are both in Asia and have similarities in culture, history, resources...

The key to new stage development

Vietnamese and Korean cinema have had a close cooperative relationship for decades. Thanks to that process, Vietnam can learn from the experience of its neighbor in film production as well as in developing the film industry, so there are clear changes.

Director and producer Phan Gia Nhat Linh recalls that when making the remake film “Em la ba noi cua anh” (2015), the Korean partner requested “maximum Vietnamization” to suit the local culture. It was this openness in creativity that contributed to the success of the film, paving the way for a series of popular remake films later such as “Thang nam ruc ro”, “Tiec trang mau”… However, while in the past international projects mainly placed Vietnam in a supporting role for foreign crews, now Vietnamese filmmakers have enough capacity to participate comprehensively, from script, production to communication.

“We have come a long way and can now confidently enter the cooperation table as equals,” director Phan Gia Nhat Linh affirmed.

A clear example is the new collaborative projects such as “Mang Me Di Bo” - a co-production between Motive Pictures (Korea), Anh Teu Studio (Vietnam) and SATE, scheduled to premiere on August 1, 2025. This is not a remake or imported idea, but an original script written by director Mo Hong-jin during his time living in Vietnam. The project has equal participation from both sides, from famous actors such as Jung Il-woo (Korea), Hong Dao and Tuan Tran (Vietnam), to the creative and production teams from both countries...

However, for the Vietnamese film industry to truly “take off” in the new era, learning is not enough. The key lies in three core factors: People, culture and policy. First of all, the human factor, Vietnamese cinema needs a generation of directors, screenwriters and technicians who are well-trained, have a global mindset but still retain their individual creative ego.

Next is the cultural factor. Vietnam possesses a huge cultural and historical treasure that has not yet been effectively exploited in modern cinematic language.

Ms. Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Cinema Development, said that if we know how to tell stories, Vietnam's traditional values will be a great advantage on the world cinema map, just like what Korea did with "Parasite", "Squid Game"... Equally important is policy. Cinema is an industry that needs comprehensive support, from training, funding, licensing, distribution to domestic and international promotion. A transparent, stable and investor-friendly mechanism will create leverage for major cinema projects to form and develop.

The combination of learning effective models from Korea and promoting internal strength, including creative people, unique cultural identity and correct strategic decisions will be a solid foundation for the Vietnamese film industry to confidently "take off" and reach the global market.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/dien-anh-viet-nam-hoc-hoi-de-cat-canh-708862.html