A scene from Tướng Về Hưu (The Retired General) by director and People’s Artist Nguyễn Khắc Lợi. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Feature Film Studio

HÀ NỘI — More than a dozen landmark works from Vietnamese cinema over the 40 years of the Đổi Mới (Renewal) era will be screened at the fourth Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV). 

This year marks four decades since Việt Nam’s Renewal era, launched after the 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam in December 1986 – a historic turning point that profoundly reshaped the country’s political, economic, cultural and social landscape.

Cinema, as an art form, has evolved alongside these transformations, reflected in shifts in creative style, thematic approaches and production quality.

As part of a programme titled The Evolution of Vietnamese Cinema in the Renewal Era, DANAFF IV will present 17 landmark films spanning from the late 1980s to the 2000s.

The programme also includes talks and discussions between filmmakers and audiences, as well as a seminar titled Vietnamese Cinema: 40 Years of Renewal, bringing together filmmakers, scholars and experts from Việt Nam and abroad.

A scene from Bi, Đừng Sợ (Bi, Don’t Be Afraid) by director Phan Đăng Di. — Photo courtesy of Acrobates Films

 17 selected films

The selected films trace the evolution of Vietnamese cinema through different stages of Renewal, from early experiments in storytelling and social satire in works like Thị Trấn Yên Tĩnh (The Quiet Town - 1986) and Thằng Bờm (The Tale of Bờm - 1987), to more direct explorations of contemporary life in Tướng Về Hưu (The Retired General - 1988) and Gánh Xiếc Rong (The Wandering Circus - 1988).

The programme also highlights the structural challenges the industry faced after the end of the subsidy era, followed by its revival in the mid-1990s and the growing role of private investment in the early 2000s.

Later works like Gái Nhảy (Bar Girls - 2002), Dòng Máu Anh Hùng (The Rebel - 2006) and Chơi Vơi (Adrift - 2009) reflect the increasing diversity of genres and cinematic voices.

More recent titles, such as Cánh Đồng BấtTận (The Endless Field - 2010), Bi, đừng sợ (Bi, Don’t Be Afraid - 2010) and Đập Cánh Giữa Không Trung (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere - 2014) showcase Vietnamese cinema’s expanding presence on the international festival circuit.

Several of the 17 featured films were originally produced for political and research purposes and had never been commercially screened.

DANAFF IV is presided over by the Đà Nẵng People's Committee and co-organised by the Đà Nẵng Department of Culture and Sports, the Việt Nam Film Development Association and other partners.

The film festival is set to take place in Đà Nẵng from June 28 to July 4. 

Further information can be found at https://vfda.vn and https://danaff.vn. — VNS