This is not only a unique cinematic "party", connecting cultures between countries, but also an opportunity for Vietnamese documentaries to be screened and widely promoted to the public. Thanks to the diversity of topics, innovation in presentation, and the enthusiasm of young filmmakers, Vietnamese documentaries are of good quality and leave an impression on audiences.

Stories that touch the heart

Documentary films are considered as valuable documentary films, helping the audience have a relatively accurate and objective view of social life and prominent issues in each period. This year's film festival brings together 18 outstanding documentaries. Of which, 7 are from European countries: Austria, Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgium), Italy, Spain, Sweden, Israel and the UK; 7 are produced by the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio; 4 are by independent authors in Vietnam.

Along with European works, Vietnamese documentaries leave a deep impression on audiences. Vietnamese filmmakers focus their lenses on ordinary people with strong willpower; slices of life evoke many emotions and thoughts; stories about culture and origins are told in a profound and touching way.

Images from the live show “Brilliant Horizon” were used to portray the film of the same name conveying the message of origin shown at the festival. Photo provided by the Organizing Committee

Considered a big hit at this year’s festival, director Lan Nguyen’s work “Brilliant Horizon” conveys to viewers a message about roots. On the journey following singer Ha Anh Tuan to Ninh Binh (the singer’s hometown) to perform a music program to pay tribute to his birthplace, director Lan Nguyen cherished telling the story about roots.

The film's plot follows specific sections: Seeds, trees, forests, roots to tell different stories: A famous male singer returns to his hometown and dedicates a music program to his birthplace, amidst the majestic natural space, with the children of the Xam singing club; a French girl of Vietnamese origin returns to find her paternal family through the connecting journey of the program "As if there had never been a separation". The way the story is softly connected by the voice of singer Ha Anh Tuan creates a sacred, proud, and emotional journey.

Present at the screening of “Brilliant Horizon”, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh, lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education, commented: “Director Lan Nguyen’s documentary tells stories of everyday life through the young director’s skillful observations and connections. Through that, the film arouses in viewers gratitude to their ancestors, roots and respect for the nation’s traditional cultural values. The film contributes to educating the younger generation in ethics and lifestyle – which is very necessary for art in today’s society.”

Film quality approaches international standards

9 film screenings in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City within the framework of the festival attracted a large audience, including many young audiences. This is a positive sign for the documentary genre, clearly demonstrating that Vietnamese documentaries are increasingly flourishing and a great source of encouragement for filmmakers. Many young people like to watch documentaries because there, they find honesty, closeness and gain more understanding about many areas of social life.

Explaining the appeal of documentaries, Meritorious Artist Trinh Quang Tung, Deputy General Director in charge of the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio, said: “Vietnam currently has a team of energetic documentary filmmakers who know how to inherit and promote the achievements of previous generations. They are a generation of filmmakers who are well-trained and are getting closer and closer to the world's modern documentary filmmaking level. They are willing to engage in many difficult and thorny topics and they have also innovated the way they tell stories for their films. Instead of Vietnamese documentaries mainly using commentary in the past, now, with learning from countries around the world, filmmakers have used the characters' voices to tell the story more, so that the film itself speaks for the content it needs to convey.”

In the world, documentary films are not as popular as commercial films, but there is always a loyal audience, interested in the emotional depth and the message conveyed. According to the representative of the Spanish Embassy, ​​Jordi Llorens Carratalá, Vietnamese documentaries are increasingly developing and are highly appreciated by international experts. Mr. Jordi Llorens Carratalá emphasized: "Audiences who love documentaries around the world will certainly be interested in and welcome Vietnamese documentaries, because the works all meet the criteria of content, social meaning, quality of cinematography and creativity. I am confident that Vietnamese documentaries will affirm their position at major film festivals around the world."

In order for documentaries to develop further in the future, Meritorious Artist Trinh Quang Tung said: “Audiences around the world really want to know, see, and hear about the land, culture, and people of Vietnam through works of art. Therefore, young documentary directors should pay more attention to topics about tradition and culture. We can learn approaches to content and artistic style from international friends, but most importantly, we still need to have the unique qualities of Vietnam and of each director himself.”

HOANG LAM

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/phim-tai-lieu-viet-nam-voi-su-sang-tao-cua-cac-nha-lam-phim-tre-848263