A scene from 'Em và Trịnh' (You and Trịnh), a film about the life and love of late songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn - who is famous for his anti-war songs and is called the "Bob Dylan of Việt Nam” by his fans at home and abroad. It was postponed for release due to the COVID-19 outbreak. — Photo courtesy of the producer

HCM CITY — Cinemas in HCM City reopen today with a schedule of Hollywood and Vietnamese films, six months after social distancing started in late April.

The city’s People’s Committee Chairman Phan Văn Mãi has signed a decision on "Safe adaptation, flexibility and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic,” allowing cinemas to reopen in low-risk zones (green zone), medium risk (yellow zone) and high risk (orange zone) zones. 

Cinemas in green zones can operate at full capacity, while cinemas in yellow and orange zones must limit their capacity to 50 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.

Employees and customers need to be fully vaccinated and must comply with 5K COVID-safety requirements, and use QR codes and apps to make medical declarations.

Cinemas owned by Thiên Ngân (Galaxy) Cinemas, CGV, Lotte and BHD will begin to offer tickets today. 

A number of Hollywood films, including Venom 2, Eternals and Black Widow, are ready for screening. 

Vietnamese films such as Gái Già Lắm Chiêu V – Những Cuộc Đời Vương Giả (The Tricky Ladies V: Luxurious Lives) and Em và Trịnh (You and Trịnh), are also scheduled. 

These productions were postponed after cinemas in Hà Nội and HCM City, the two biggest markets in the country, closed in April.

“We spent several hundred million đồng on marketing and advertising our production in local media. We hope our film will be shown soon in cinemas,” said Phan Gia Nhật Linh, director of Em và Trịnh. 

Em và Trịnh features the life and love of late songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn. Sơn is famous for his anti-war songs and is called the "Bob Dylan of Việt Nam” by his fans at home and abroad. 

Its scheduled screening was cancelled two times. 

Thiên Ngân Cinema and its partners spent more than VNĐ20 billion (US$860,000) on the production. — VNS