RIVER SCREENING: On The Same River will be shown at the Memories of a Vietnamese Cinema event at Metrograph Theatre in New York. Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Film Studio

HÀ NỘI — Chung Một Dòng Sông (On The Same River), the first feature of Vietnamese revolution cinema, will be screened at Metrograph Theatre in New York as part of the Memories of a Vietnamese Cinema event, selected by the Việt Nam Film Institute.

Directed by Phạm Kỳ Nam and Nguyễn Hồng Nghi in 1959, Chung Một Dòng Sông follows lovers Hoài, a guerrilla fighter from the North, and Vận, a young woman from the South, during the war against the French. Their romance becomes a casualty of partition when the country is divided at the Bến Hải River.

Nam (1928–1984), considered a pioneer of Vietnamese revolution cinema, was the first director from North Việt Nam to receive formal training in France. He began his career with this landmark film and went on to direct early features and documentaries on President Hồ Chí Minh. In recognition of his contributions to Vietnamese cinema, Nam was posthumously awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2007.

Co-director Nguyễn Hồng Nghi, a pioneering documentarian who worked closely with President Hồ Chí Minh, was gifted North Việt Nam’s only film camera in the early 1950s. On The Same River demonstrates how Vietnamese cinema has, from its origins, channelled national struggles through the lens of romantic relationships.

The film won the Golden Lotus prize at the 2nd Việt Nam National Film Festival (VNFF) in 1973.

Other films to be screened at the event include Em Bé Hà Nội (The Little Girl of Hà Nội, 1974), Hy Vọng Cuối Cùng (The Last Hope, 1981), Bao Giờ Cho Đến Tháng 10 (When the Tenth Month Comes, 1984), Thị Xã Trong Tầm Tay (Town Within Reach, 1983) and Hà Nội Trong Mắt Ai (Hà Nội Through Whose Eyes?, 1983), all produced by the Việt Nam Feature Film Studio.

The lineup also features Gánh Xiếc Rong (Travelling Circus, 1989) by Giải Phóng Film Studio, Hãy Tha Thứ Cho Em (Please Forgive Me, 1992) by Young Cinema Centre, and two animated works from Việt Nam Animation Film Studio, Đáng Đời Thằng Cáo (The Fox Got What Deserved, 1959) and Con Sáo Biết Nói (The Talking Bird, 1967).

When The Tenth Month Comes and Town Within Reach were directed by award-winning Đặng Nhật Minh, one of Việt Nam’s foremost filmmakers. Town Within Reach, Minh’s debut feature, emerged from years of frustration with translating Russian films and co-directing documentaries. A visit to Lạng Sơn, a northern town devastated by the 1979 border conflict, inspired Minh’s first venture into screenwriting and direction.

The film marked the start of his illustrious career and cemented his position as a true cinematic auteur. Minh’s films, often penned by himself, offer profound insights into human existence, societal reflection and a perspective rooted in introspection rather than propaganda.

Town Within Reach won the Golden Lotus Award at the 6th VNFF in 1983, and Minh received the same honour for When The Tenth Month Comes at the subsequent festival in 1985.

When The Tenth Month Comes by Đặng Nhật Minh will be shown on October 25. Photo coutersy of Việt Nam Film Institute

This film not only garnered local acclaim but also became a timeless gem in Vietnamese cinema’s post-war period, earning numerous international accolades.

In 2008, it was included on CNN's list of 18 all-time best Asian films, alongside works by legendary filmmakers such as Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, Chinese director Zhang Yimou, Hong Kong’s Wong Kar-wai and South Korean Bong Joon-ho.

Minh was the first Vietnamese person to be awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture in 1999. When The Tenth Month Comes was the first Vietnamese film to be screened in the US and won a special jury prize at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1985.

Memories of a Vietnamese Cinema will take place from October 18–31 as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of Việt Nam–US diplomatic relations. — VNS