Gen Z group makes touching video about Dien Bien Phu, takes photos for veterans
Báo Dân trí•10/05/2024
(Dan Tri) - With many meaningful activities during 20 days in Dien Bien, Cao Van Thang and his team conveyed the spirit of patriotism and respect for history from the perspective of the young generation.
Video "70 years, blood and flowers" recreates the battle of Dien Bien Phu (Edited by: Thu Thao).
In late April and early May, the whole country turned to Dien Bien to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. As a son of the heroic land, Cao Van Thang (born in 1997) - a photographer currently living in Hanoi - also felt the rising spirit of patriotism. Since 2023, Thang has been nurturing a project to pay tribute to his homeland. Through that, he hopes to express his gratitude to the soldiers who sacrificed for national independence, remember the heroic historical milestones, and at the same time speak of the tireless efforts of many generations to contribute to the development of Dien Bien. Recently, on this important occasion of the country, Thang and his team completed the project with great enthusiasm.
"70 years, blood and flowers"
Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Cao Van Thang said that his parents still live in Dien Bien. Having a passion for photography and filmmaking, the young man opened a photo studio in 2022. "With the experience accumulated in the advertising and film industry, I really hope to be able to contribute my youth to the development of my home province in the fields of culture and tourism. I hope that the image of Dien Bien will be welcomed by the public through impressive media materials," he said. Thang's overall project includes: Two videos to promote patriotism (one propaganda poster video in graphic design style, one video recreating the Dien Bien Phu battle); one video promoting local tourism culture; one specially composed music video. Before starting the project, Thang sent a letter asking Dien Bien province for support in communication and information, meeting with local officials to ensure the authenticity of the location, people, and historical milestones. In mid-April, the group of 8 people moved to Dien Bien. All of them belong to Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), who have been exposed to the explosion of technology at an early age. Therefore, all products are made in the form of short videos to easily attract and approach young people through the lens of young people.
Among them, the video 70 years, blood and flowers moved many people when it recreated the brave war of the Vietnamese people to regain independence, many predecessors fell to bring peace to the next generation. The video was filmed in the Ta Leng mountain range, Phieng Loi stream and some hills where people often burn fields to save budget as well as to recreate the most realistic image of Dien Bien. The crew spent 10 days to write the script, film and edit while facing many challenges in terms of personnel and setting, and the cost exceeded expectations. "Finding human resources and costumes to film the scene was very difficult, the feasibility was almost zero because at this time, the province was focusing on practicing for the parade and organizing events to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. This led to the cost of costumes and extras increasing beyond expectations," Thang said. However, the group was determined to continue because they wanted to create a product that clearly expressed patriotism from the perspective of young people, different from traditional documentaries. During the production process, one member had an accident that resulted in a dislocated shoulder and was hospitalized. Others in the group also suffered injuries from filming many dangerous scenes. However, after finishing the project, everyone was happy with the results they had created. Cao Van Thang and his group gave soft drinks and oranges to the parade and marching group.
Unforgettable memories
On scorching hot days in Dien Bien, Cao Van Thang and his team spontaneously organized a relay activity for the parade when they saw everyone practicing hard. The team gave away 750 bottles of green tea and 5 boxes of oranges to many people. More meaningfully, the team also took photos for the veterans. This idea came from the desire for the Dien Bien soldiers of the past to have a portrait to preserve memories of a glorious time. In addition, with the help of the Dien Bien Provincial Department of Education, the team awarded 6 tons of rice and 50 million VND in scholarships to Nua Ngam Primary School and Muong Nha Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities. This amount was partly taken from the photo studio's revenue. According to Thang, the rice donation program originated from the fact that the team learned that the food rations of the students here only had about 10kg of rice per month. The group was moved when hearing a local person exclaim upon receiving the gift: "This is the first time I've received this much rice, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it all."
Thang shared that the recent project was the first series of activities for himself and his group, so it was inevitable that there were many shortcomings, failures, and weak preparation. However, the members hope that this will be a stepping stone to continue implementing future projects, with the next destination being a series of videos recreating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South - the reunification of the country in 2025. "Our series of videos is just like a special introduction for viewers to choose their own path of experiencing history according to their personal taste, and from there, love the Fatherland more and be grateful to the previous generation," the 27-year-old man expressed. As for Thang, his birthday coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory - May 7. Therefore, this is an unforgettable memory for the Dien Bien boy.
Comment (0)