A recreation of many iconic scenes from the film Mùi Cỏ Cháy (Scent of Burning Grass), made by young film students. Photo courtesy of VTV

HÀ NỘI — Despite the generation gap, many iconic classic Vietnamese movies still have a place in younger audiences' hearts, including Gen Z.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper, from a pool of 150 students from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, Hồ Chí Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 76 per cent of students had seen one or two classic Vietnamese films.

An amazing seven per cent had seen more than three films and while 17 per cent had not seen any, the results still show that young people's interest in classic cinema hasn't been lost yet.

Many classic works are still receiving interest from young audiences to this day, such as Chị Tư Hậu (Sister Tư Hậu), Cánh Đồng Hoang (The Abandoned Field, Free Fire Zone), Vĩ Tuyến 17 Ngày Và Đêm (17th Parallel, Nights and Days), Mùi Cỏ Cháy (Scent of Burning Grass), Bao Giờ Cho Đến Tháng Mười (When the Tenth Month Comes).

On social media, especially YouTube and TikTok, short clips from revolutionary films like Scent of Burning Grass, Sister Tư Hậu, When the Tenth Month Comes are posted daily, with captions expressing deep appreciation for the films' artistry, emotional depth and historical significance.

VTV3’s latest talk show Cine7 – Ký Ức Phim Việt (Cine7– Memories of Vietnamese Film) features many famous cinematic works from the past, and conversing with the veteran actors who laid the foundation for Vietnamese cinema.

A segment of this show features how classic films inspired the lives of young people, helping them discover their dreams and nurture their talent.

In an episode, the show revisited the 1974 film Đến Hẹn Lại Lên (Until We Meet Again) directed by Trần Vũ. The film has many scenes showcasing the art of Quan Họ (love duet) singing of the northern province of Bắc Ninh. Many young members of the Chèo 48h group, a project that aims to encourage youths to preserve traditional Vietnamese singing styles, have expressed their love for the film, claiming it to be the reason they want to pursue quan họ.

“I have seen Until We Meet Again when I was a high school student. The movie has made a strong impression on me about the quan họ singing style. It’s the Giã Bạn performance in the film that urged me to learn quan Họ”, Phạm Văn Trình, a member of Chèo 48h group, said on the show.

A scene showcases the art of Quan Họ (love duet) singing in classical film Đến Hẹn Lại Lên (Until We Meet Again). Photo courtesy of VTV

In the latest episode, audiences were reunited with the acclaimed film Mùi Cỏ Cháy (Scent of Burning Grass) directed by Emeritus Artist Nguyễn Hữu Mười. The film goes through the diaries and memories of North Vietnamese soldiers who fought in the ferocious 1972 battle of Quảng Trị.

Near the end of the episode, viewers and the guest stars were shown a recreation of many iconic scenes from the film, made by young film students from the digital content producer class of Hà Nội University of Theatre and Cinema.

The recreation project was made for students to practise their filmmaking skills, the fact that the class has chosen this classic work to replicate shows that there is still an unwavering appreciation for classic Vietnamese movies.

"I can see that young people still have a lot of love for the movies we made, even for war movies from 50 years ago, yet they still have such an interest in it, I think it's a commendable thing… I'm very happy and I didn't think I would make such a lasting impression.", Nguyễn Hữu Mười, the director and the lead in the film. VNS