Director Bùi Đình Hạc passed away at the age of 90. Photo courtesy of his family

HÀ NỘI Renowned director Bùi Đình Hạc, who made history as the first-ever recipient of an international award for Vietnamese cinema, has passed away, aged 90.

As one of the first Vietnamese directors, he has made significant contributions to the development of Vietnamese cinema.

His debut work, the documentary film Nước về Bắc Hưng Hải (Water Returns to Bắc Hưng Hải), produced in 1959, won the first international award for Vietnamese cinema - the Gold Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival - that same year. The director was only 25 years old at the time.

Over the course of his more than 50-year career, the director worked on both documentary and feature films. Alongside Water Returns to Bắc Hưng Hải, he was also well-known for his feature film Hà Nội 12 Ngày Đêm (Hanoi 12 Days and Nights), produced in 2002. It was also the first Vietnamese film to extensively adopt special effects and modern technologies.

From 2002 to 2005, Hanoi 12 Days and Nights represented Việt Nam at numerous major international film festivals, including Locarno in Switzerland, Fokuoka in Japan, and in Cairo in Egypt, Vesoul in France, and Fajr in Iran.

During his career, Hạc won 3 First Prizes and 1 Second Prize at various international film festivals, as well as seven Golden Lotus Awards and one Silver Lotus Award at Vietnamese film festivals.

Director Bùi Đình Hạc is pictured in one of his film projects. Photo courtesy of his family

With his exceptional achievements, he was awarded the title of People's Artist (First Class) by the state in 1984. In 2007, he was also honoured with the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Art for his outstanding contributions to cinema, specifically for his seven exceptional film works.

Director and People's Artist Bùi Đình Hạc was born on June 4, 1934 in Tam Nông District in the northern province of Phú Thọ.

He embarked on his filmmaking career after moving to Định Hóa District in the northern province of Thái Nguyên, the cradle of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema and photography, in 1953. After graduating from the Hanoi Film School, he continued his studies at VGIK (All-Union State Institute of Cinematography) in the Soviet Union.

Many other of his notable works, besides Water Returns to Bắc Hưng Hải and Hanoi 12 Days and Nights, include Nguyễn Văn Trỗi, Đường Về Quê Mẹ (Journey Back to my Homeland), Sài Gòn Tháng 5 Năm 1975 (Saigon in May 1975), and Hồ Chí Minh – Chân Dung Một Con Người (Hồ Chí Minh - Portrait of a Person).

A scene in Hanoi 12 Days and Nights, an acclaimed feature film by director Bùi Đình Hạc. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Feature Film Studio

The experienced director held prominent positions such as the Director of the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio, the Head of the Vietnam Cinema Department, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Vietnam Cinema Association.

He passed away at Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Hospital on July 1. VNS