Why should we be disdainful when Vietnamese films go out into the world?

Hai Phuong, Lat mat 6, Mai, Nguoi vo cuoi cuoi, Ke an hon are in the stream of Vietnamese commercial films to the world - Photo: DPCC

Vietnamese films "going out into the world" in any form need to be encouraged and supported, don't say derogatory things like "you want to go out into the world with that", "not good enough to go out into the world".

Because when a film is selected by a foreign organization - whether for commercial theater screening to make money or for screening at a film festival for critics and professionals - it is still a choice through a board of directors and curators, serving certain interests for them in terms of business or prestige and reputation.

Deadline (USA) news site has just commented that the Vietnamese film market is one of the fastest growing film markets in Asia, as shown by revenue starting to approach the international top in 2023 and 2024.

When watching Vietnamese movies, we are still just Vietnamese audiences.

Regarding commercial films, before Tran Thanh's Mai , there were more than 10 Vietnamese films shown in international commercial theaters, creating a stream of films shown in international theaters - something many filmmakers expressed their desire to Tuoi Tre many years ago.

They are: Hai Phuong by director Le Van Kiet and producer Ngo Thanh Van, Lat mat 5 and Lat mat 6 by director Ly Hai, Ke an hon and Chuyen ma gan nha by Tran Huu Tan, Bo gia and Nha ba Nu by Tran Thanh;

The Last Wife and Guardian Angel by Victor Vu, Elevator by Peter Mourougaya (foreign director making Vietnamese films), Southern Forest Land by Nguyen Quang Dung...

Hai Phuong (2019) by Ngo Thanh Van is one of the first Vietnamese films to be shown simultaneously in Vietnam and the US - Photo: DPCC

Not every film earns millions of dollars in revenue abroad like Mai and The Godfather. And even though it is abroad, the audience who goes to the cinema to watch Vietnamese movies is still mainly Vietnamese, of Vietnamese origin.

This is nothing to be scorned about, it's simply that our film industry is not really famous, and the films are too localized so they don't attract international audiences.

Tran Thanh's film Mai has currently earned more than 540 billion VND (including the international market), currently in the top 20 highest-grossing films in the world in 2024 (it is likely to drop in rank in the near future, but this is still a good sign).

Other Vietnamese films that have made hundreds of billions of dollars have also reached millions of dollars at the exchange rate, not bad for a still young commercial film industry (the first commercial film was Gai Nhay, released 21 years ago).

With other large and long-standing film markets, especially in recent years, the films that are ranked among the best are often not the highest-grossing films.

Tran Thanh's Bo Gia and Mai both grossed over 1 million USD in the US, with audiences mainly being Vietnamese and of Vietnamese origin - Photo: DPCC

That exists in all cinemas, not just Vietnam. Because there is always a certain gap between the pinnacle of cinematic art and the scope and limits of enjoyment for the majority.

Oppenheimer - the film that just won an Oscar and earned nearly a billion dollars - is still a rare case of balancing both factors.

Barbie - the $1.38 billion movie, the world's highest-grossing film of 2023 and the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.'s 100-year history - received mixed reviews about its quality and missed out on many important film awards.

And the other way

And not only needing commercial films, Vietnamese cinema still needs to go out into the world in another way through art films.

In recent years, Vietnam has had Rom win the award for best debut or second film (New Currents) at the Busan Film Festival, Inside the Golden Cocoon won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival, Cu Li never cries won the award for best debut film at the Berlin Film Festival...

Pham Ngoc Lan's Cu Li Khong Bao Nhat Cry is the latest Vietnamese film to win an award at a leading film festival in the world (Berlin) - Photo: Berlinale

It is worth mentioning that there are still many Vietnamese art films that have been and are in the process of production and, thanks to certain successes in recent years, continue to receive attention from film festival organizers.

Another common point is that these are still achievements for debut films, films that start their careers. The stream of Vietnamese art films that shine abroad still looks forward to the creative vitality of these talented filmmakers.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sao-phai-de-biu-khi-phim-viet-ra-the-gioi-20240331092820384.htm