Arc de Triomphe in the Heart of Paris: A Masterpiece of Vietnam's Diplomacy

(HTV) - On the night of January 18, 1969, in the heart of splendid Paris, where the Arc de Triomphe stands tall as a symbol of military power, the Vietnamese flag flew atop Notre Dame Cathedral, a historic moment, a resounding diplomatic victory.

After 2 years of introducing part 1 of the documentary “Ho Chi Minh - The Road Ahead”, the next part of the film “Ho Chi Minh - The Road Ahead” named Triumphal Song in the Heart of Paris, 2 episodes long, written and directed by Ngo Quang Thinh is about to be released.

The film is a song of victory on the diplomatic and ideological front, the result of President Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic art towards European countries, so that Vietnam could receive the support of international friends in opposing the American imperialist war of aggression in Vietnam. The highlight of the film is the story of the appearance of the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam on the top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on the night of January 18, 1969.

The appearance of the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam on the top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on the night of January 18, 1969 was a historic moment.

In the heart of Paris, there is the Arc de Triomphe - a symbol of victory under Emperor Napoleon I to honor the French army. Also in the heart of Paris, Vietnam had a glorious victory on the diplomatic front at the Paris Conference in 1973. The Arc de Triomphe is a song praising the fighting spirit on all fronts of the contemporary Vietnamese Revolution, inheriting the legacy of diplomatic art that President Ho Chi Minh left behind.

“The Triumphal Arch in the Heart of Paris” marked an important turning point in politics before the Paris Conference in 1973, which was the premise for the US imperialists to withdraw their troops from Vietnam, contributing to bringing Vietnam to complete unification.

In particular, the story of three Swiss youths (Mr. Olivier Parriaux, Mr. Bernard Bachelard and Noé Graff) who bravely raised the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam on top of Notre Dame Cathedral on the opening day of the Paris Conference negotiations (January 19, 1969) will also be told in detail for the first time in this film. And this is also the only time after 55 years that the three men were reunited right under Notre Dame Cathedral after their brave action in support of Vietnam in 1969.

In this film, for the first time, the story of the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam being raised on top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on the opening day of the Paris Conference negotiations (January 19, 1969) is told in detail.

Not only was France the first destination, but Paris in particular was the place where many major events took place in Nguyen Ai Quoc's revolutionary life. Later, he concluded: "I learned about revolution not in Moscow, but right here, in Paris, the capital of freedom, equality and fraternity." Obviously, the period in France (1917 - 1923) left a very deep mark on the revolutionary life of Nguyen Ai Quoc. When he first arrived in France, Nguyen Tat Thanh was a patriotic young man with no political tendencies; when he left France, at the age of 33, he was already Nguyen Ai Quoc - a famous communist, the leader of the movement to liberate oppressed peoples and an expert on colonial issues.

Episode 1: From Le Havre to Paris:

Starting in 1911, when the Latouche-Tréville ship docked at Le Havre port in northeastern France, marking the first time Uncle Ho set foot in France. Episode 01 will cover the stories of his activities during the period of finding a way to save the country, reviewing places associated with his image in France to show the close connection between France and Uncle Ho and between Uncle Ho and France, which is the premise for later events between the two countries.

Episode 2: The flag on top of Notre Dame Cathedral:

Episode 2 will focus on the event of 3 Swiss people hanging the Vietnamese flag on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to see the influence of President Ho Chi Minh in spreading patriotism, fighting for peace, justice and reason, and how it had a strong impact on patriots around the world.

"Triumph in the Heart of Paris" continues its journey to explore President Ho Chi Minh's footprints in Europe. The film crew filmed in France and Switzerland, focusing especially on historical sites associated with Uncle Ho and the negotiation process of the Paris Agreement.

"A triumphal song in the heart of Paris" is a journey to continue discovering Uncle Ho's footprints in Europe.

The highlight of this part is the touching story of the Swiss people who hung the Vietnamese flag on top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and Uncle Ho's diplomatic process in European countries.