Something extraordinary is unfolding in the landscape of Vietnamese cinema. The 76th Cannes Film Festival witnessed a momentous occasion as “L’Arbre aux Papillons d’Or“, the debut film by director Pham Thien An, secured the prestigious Camera d’Or award in May. This masterful three-hour cinematic journey, immersing audiences in the enchanting vistas of remote Vietnam through long, uninterrupted sequences, has undeniably signaled the dawn of a new era.

Not to be outdone, the 2022 Festival des 3 continents in Nantes crowned “Glorious Ashes,” a creation by the seasoned filmmaker Bui Thac Chuyên, with the esteemed Montgolfier d’Or award. The film further exemplified the rising prowess of Vietnamese cinema on the global stage.

Even lesser-known first films are leaving a profound impact. “Taste,” directed by Lê Bao, caught the attention of the Berlin Film Festival in 2021, securing the special jury prize in the Encounters section. Its audacious narrative explored the life of an African footballer, expelled from his team, who finds himself entwined in the lives of four middle-aged women living in a Ho Chi Minh City slum.

However, unlike the first two films, “Taste” did not receive the necessary authorization for distribution within Vietnam. Nevertheless, these remarkable cinematic achievements are often the result of collaborations and co-financing from regional funds, such as the Singapore Film Commission and Purin Pictures, a private Thai foundation dedicated to fostering independent cinema in Southeast Asia. Additionally, French initiatives, such as Aide aux Cinémas du Monde and the Normandie Images fund, have also played a crucial role in supporting these endeavors.

The simultaneous boom in commercial cinema makes this creative explosion even more remarkable. “Industry experts predict that, within a decade or even sooner, Vietnamese cinema will rise to the same level of acclaim as its South Korean counterpart”, said Quan Nguyen, the head of Production Q, an independent production house in Ho Chi Minh City, confidently expressed this sentiment during an interview on set visit. Currently collaborating with director Tran Huu Tan on a new horror feature, Nguyen sees a bright future for Vietnamese cinema.

Indeed, the convergence of artistic brilliance and commercial success paints an auspicious picture for Vietnamese filmmakers. As their stories continue to captivate audiences worldwide, the world eagerly awaits the next chapter in this cinematic journey, destined to shape the future of Vietnamese cinema.

In Pursuit of Authenticity

The intrepid film crew, hailing from Ho Chi Minh City and embarking on a day-long journey by plane and bus, established their camp in a remote village nestled amid the mountains of Hà Giang province, in northern Vietnam—an enclave accessible only by two-wheeled vehicles.

Drawing inspiration from indigenous ethnic minorities, the film’s costumes skillfully avoided direct replication to steer clear of any potential stigmatization. The production team deftly navigated the nuances of communist censorship, ensuring that their creative vision remained unscathed. Not content with just one project, the same dynamic team embarked on a dual venture—a twelve-episode streaming series and a hundred-minute prequel feature film slated for theatrical release—both woven with their signature quest for authenticity.

Their dedication to preserving local culture bore fruit in 2022 when their previous venture, “Vietnamese Horror Story“, artfully exploring the old legends of Saigon from the 1950s, emerged as the most viewed horror film in Vietnamese cinema. Quan Nguyen, the visionary producer, expressed his unwavering commitment to producing films deeply rooted in the richness of the local heritage. The resounding success of “Vietnamese Horror Story” captivated the attention of global streaming behemoth Netflix, which acquired the rights to broadcast the film in eighteen countries. Furthermore, the film’s triumph convinced the Canal+ subsidiary in Vietnam to generously fund the series born from their latest masterpiece.

“It’s a cinema on the rise, with increased resources, as Vietnam now boasts a robust domestic market,” remarks Jérémy Segay, the esteemed audiovisual attaché at the French Embassy in Hanoi. Box office earnings for the first half of 2023 have already surpassed the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, signifying a remarkable resurgence. Most notably, Vietnamese productions now dominate more than half of the receipts, a testament to the exceptional performance of the national cinema amidst competition from South Korean and Hollywood blockbusters. The crown jewel of 2023’s box office is the Vietnamese comedy “House of No Man,” a poignant portrayal of generational conflicts in a matriarchal family in Ho Chi Minh City, delighting audiences with a record 5.5 million viewers.

As the quest for authenticity continues to elevate Vietnamese cinema to new heights, audiences both at home and abroad eagerly anticipate the next chapters of this compelling narrative, celebrating the spirit and cultural essence of Vietnam on the grand stage of global cinema.

“Vietnamese Cinema Owes a Great Deal to South Korea”

What a long and transformative journey Vietnamese cinema has undertaken, starting as a medium dominated by black-and-white propaganda films from state-run studios after the country’s reunification in 1976 under the Communist Party’s guidance.

The bustling commercial cinema of the capitalist South—the former Republic of Vietnam (1955-1975), semi-authoritarian and under American protection—was dismantled during this period, with its archives still prohibited from public dissemination. However, with the market economy’s opening in 1986, a private cinema, often leaning towards genre films, slowly began to flourish in Ho Chi Minh City, the former capital of the South, driven in part by Vietnamese individuals who returned from the United States.

In 2010, the country had a mere 90 screens, a number that has now exponentially grown to 1,100. The pivotal year was 2010, with the entrance of South Korean giants making a significant impact: the CGV multiplex chain established itself to construct cinemas, followed by another major player in the sector, Lotte. Additionally, in 2017, a subsidiary of CGV Vietnam collaborated with a local producer to form CJ HK Entertainment, the driving force behind the successful film “House of No Man.”

“Renowned Asian cinema specialist Jérémy Segay emphasizes the profound influence of South Korea on Vietnamese cinema. South Korean investors not only built cinemas but also brought essential management and marketing techniques to the industry. Early major successes were often remakes of South Korean films, showcasing the extensive impact of South Korean cinema on Vietnamese filmography. Furthermore, Vietnam positioned itself as a subcontractor for animation series and a provider of special effects for South Korea and other countries.”

In May, the Vietnamese press celebrated yet another Cannes award: the Best Director prize awarded to Tran Anh Hung, a filmmaker of Vietnamese origin, for “The Passion of Dodin Bouffant”. Tran Anh Hung had previously received the Camera d’Or in 1993 for “The Scent of Green Papaya”, the first Vietnamese-language feature film to earn acclaim at a major film festival. His subsequent work, “Cyclo”, filmed on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City but never shown in Vietnam due to its portrayal of the city’s underworld, was awarded the Golden Lion in Venice in 1995. Tran Anh Hung is now poised to return to his roots, relocating this summer to his country of birth to lead a cinema workshop, and perhaps embark on a new filmmaking venture.

As Vietnamese cinema continues to evolve and thrive, the impact of South Korean involvement remains a driving force, influencing the industry’s growth and success.

Brice Pedroletti (Hà Giang, Vietnam), Special Correspondent

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