Emma Peeters will kick off the Francophone Film Festival. The festival will be held from March 24 to 27 in Hà Nội. Photo Take Five Production

HÀ NỘI — Award-winning movie Emma Peeter will be shown in Hà Nội, kicking off the annual Francophone Film Festival which will be held from March 24 to 27.

Emma Peeters is a romantic comedy written and directed by Nicole Palo. It is the story of a Belgian actress who is living in Paris. 

It is an international production between Belgium and Canada, starring Monia Chokri in the role of Emma. The film had its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival and it earned the best director award at the Monte Carlo Film Festival. 

The festival will show other award-winning films including Borders; Fahim - the Little Chess Prince; Jeune Juliette; Roll The Drums! and Vietnamese film Truyền Thuyết Quán Tiên (Legend of Quán Tiên). 

Legend of Quán Tiên won the Silver Lotus award at the Việt Nam National Film Festival in 2019. Set during the American War in the late 1960s, the movie is about three young women who are all youth volunteers.

Living together in the jungle to support the army, they have to cope with life-threatening moments every day.

Directed by Đinh Tuấn Vũ, the movie was honoured at the Việt Nam Cinematography Association's 2019 Golden Kite Award with the Silver Kite for best motion picture and the Golden Kite for best score.

Borders is about four women who come together to sell their Nigerian fabrics in Lagos, Nigeria. It received numerous awards including the best feature film at Pan African Film Festival and the best-supporting actress for Naky Sy Savane at Khouribga African Film Festival. 

The festival will be a chance for viewers to see veteran actor Gerard Depardieu in Fahim - the Little Chess Prince. 

The movie by director Pierre-François Martin-Laval with Gerard Depardieu and Assad Ahmed, is based on a true story about immigration, hope, integration and redemption.

The tale is not only a moving account of the grim realities that underlie a supposedly caring society, but also a heartwarming testimony of a father’s determination, the kindness of strangers, and one small boy’s courageous will to succeed.

It won Youth Jury Award at the 2019 Namur International Francophone Film Festival in Belgium. 

The four-day festival is co-held by Wallonie Bruxelles and Francophone representative office in Asia Pacific on the occasion of the official visit to Việt Nam by Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) Louise Mushikiwabo.

The movies will be shown at the Documentary and Scientific Film Studio, 465 Hoàng Hoa Thám Street and at French Cultural Centre, 24 Tràng Tiền Street. — VNS