Vietnamese Films
From: Khanh-Van Nguyen <Khanhvan@msu.edu>
I am putting together a Vietnamese film series and have my heart set
on showing films from contemporary Vietnamese film makers. However,
I am having a difficult time finding any films besides the ones that
have shown in the U.S (i.e. those from franco-vietnamese director Tran
Anh Hung : Scent of the Green Papaya, Cyclo, and Vertical Rays of the
Sun and Vietnamese-American Tony Bui, Three Seasons and Green Dragon)
Although I am not adverse to showing films from the Vietnamese diaspora,
I would love to counter these with films from Vietnamese nationals
like Dang Nhat Minh and/or films based on VN contemporary fiction (i.e
The General Retires and The Sawers both by dissident writer Nguyen
Huy Thiep) I have found mention of some films on the net but have
not found information on where to purchase them. Does anyone have any
suggestions/recommendations?
Khanh-Van Nguyen
Outreach Coordinator, Asian Studies Center
Michigan State University
From: Susan Hammond [mailto:frdev@mindspring.com]
Sent: Tue 05/20/03 14:47
To: Vietnam Studies Group
Cc:
Subject: RE: H-Asia: Vietnamese Films
Try contacting Gerry Herman (ghlotus@aol.com)
of Discover Communications who is based in Hanoi and just put the
HCM City television mini series Dat Phuong Nam (translated on the
DVD set as Song of the South) on DVD with optional English subtitles.
The DVD series is 11 hours long and a TV mini series so would not likely
be what you are looking for but Gerry is working on getting Vietnamese
feature films on DVD will good quality optional subtitles. I know he
is working on releasing two Vietnamese feature films this year. He has
told me that there are not a lot of Vietnamese films available internationally
and he is trying to amend this situation. But he would know what films
are available and how to get them.
I recently saw at the Museum of Natural History showing of the film
The Deserted Valley from the director Pham Nhue Giang. The museum also
showed Dang Nhat Minh's The Season of Guavas in early April but I missed
it. I know that it was hard to get permission to show the Deserted
Valley as the rights are owned by a Korean company and they have not
yet sorted out the US distributor issues but Gerry helped the museum
to arrange for their showing. I am not sure how the museum got The
Season of Guavas but try contacting Ann Fitzgerald who has pulled together
the AMNH program. Her email is afitz@amnh.org.
One of the Vietnamese students at Columbia recently mentioned another
film by a Vietnamese director, sorry the name slips my mind, that they
have a 30 mm copy of but they need a 30 mm projector and a venue in
NY to show it. I can try to find out more info about it, at least the
film name and the director. I am not sure if it is subtitled.
Some of Pham Van Thuy's films were recently shown across the US when
he was here with the Joiner Center, but I do not know about rights
for showing his films elsewhere but Diane Fox who traveled with him
for some of the showings may know.
FYI the DVD set of Song of the South is available for a discounted
price from FRD if any one is interested in a copy of the set let me
know. Also we are trying to put a list together on our website of Vietnamese
films, both Diaspora and Vietnamese directors as well as quality documentaries
with the information on how to get a hold of the films so if you have
suggestions of films that should be included even if you do not know
how to get a hold of them let me know.
Lastly does anyone know who the author of the novel Dat Phuong Nam
that the mini series is based on? The promo on the set compares the
author to Dickens or Twain but does not mention the authors name.
Susan Hammond
Deputy Director
Fund for Reconciliation and Development
From christopher.jenner@umb.edu Wed Jun 25 11:58:32
2003
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 12:24:04 -0400
From: Christopher Jenner <christopher.jenner@umb.edu>
Reply-To: vsg@u.washington.edu
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Vietnamese Films
Joiner Center is collaborating with SRV Ministry of Culture and Information
(MoCI) on a long-term project to develop restoration, preservation and
distribution of Vietnamese films. To better enable film distribution
and study, production of a national documentary and feature database
is one of the project's initial goals. I am presently working with MoCI
and Vietnam's national film archives to that end. We plan to have completed
this first stage by the end of 2004.
I shall shortly be contacting some VSG members directly regarding specific
parts of this project and will notify the list in general when the documentary
and feature filmography is ready for dissemination.
Please be kind enough to contact me if your institution is positioned
to financially support film archive training (restoration, preservation
and cataloguing) for Vietnamese archivists or production training (documentary
and feature) for Vietnamese filmmakers. Donations of 35mm post-production
equipment, such as Steenbecks, would also be welcome.
Standard professional movie-film stocks are 16mm, 35mm and 70mm gauges.
Aside from contemporary digital and video productions, Vietnam's documentary
and feature films are shot on 35mm in b/w or color. I have been working
with Vietnam's national film archives since 1995 but have not yet encountered
a 30mm print. If memory serves, Columbia has film projectors for 8mm,
16mm, and 35mm and various screening facilities. Tran (not Pham) Van
Thuy, who is working with us on the above project, recently showed three
of his courageously revelatory documentaries to an enthralled audience
at the university.
MoCI holds the international distribution rights to all Vietnam's nationally
produced documentaries, feature films, and television programs. A few
Vietnamese filmmakers have collaborated with overseas production companies,
the distribution rights for these films were negotiated in accord with
MoCI guidelines. The Vietnamese Constitution (1992) stipulates the State
undertakes the overall administration of cultural activities, which
is particularly so in the domain of mass media. A number of interesting
collaborative projects are underway involving national and overseas
Vietnamese filmmakers.
-- Christopher Jenner
C J Jenner
Director
Vietnam National Film Archives Project
William Joiner Center
From: smg7@cornell.edu [mailto:
Sent: Tue 05/27/03 20:29
To: Christopher Jenner
Cc:
Subject: Vietnamese films
You wrote:
>I shall shortly be contacting some VSG members
>directly regarding specific parts of this project and
>will notify the list in general when the documentary
>and feature filmography is ready for dissemination.
>Please be kind enough to contact me if your
>institution is positioned to financially support film
>archive training (restoration, preservation and
Dear Christopher:
Your project sounds very worthwhile. I can give you this brief
advice. I don't know that there are any subscribers on the list associated
w the UCLA Film & Television Archives, so I'm going ahead with this
info. Back in 1989, the FTA sponsored a showing of ten Hanoi films,
with the help of the Hanoi Film Factory, that it still has in secured
media form in its archives. I was one of the organizers of the festival
that screened them. While there is new administration at the FTA today,
I believe that your project may find sympathetic ears. You might avoid
redundancy in importing some films, in top quality shape, by trying
to work w FTA. And of course they have huge amounts of material that
you might wish to send to VN.
I can't recall the FTA director's name at that time, sorry.
Jeff somebody, who went on to become a significant figure at the Sundance
Festival. If you can reach him, I suspect you'd have an experienced
hand willing to assist you.
Sincerely,
STeve Graw
From christopher.jenner@umb.edu Wed Jun 25 12:05:23 2003
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 11:52:57 -0400
From: Christopher Jenner <christopher.jenner@umb.edu>
Reply-To: vsg@u.washington.edu
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: FW: Vietnamese films
Dear Steve --
Thanks for your suggestion. We are indeed in contact with UCLA's FTA,
in point of fact they have organized a few Vietnam focussed screenings
since the 1989 show. I worked with UCLA film dept. and FTA in the 90s
on four Vietnam documentary film projects.
We had not previously thought of aiming to facilitate study of American
cinema in Vietnam, after all the project is already quite ambitious.
However, I shall discuss your idea with our Vietnamese colleagues. Once
the infrastructure is in place to distribute Vietnamese films for research
and study in US it would certainly be feasible to piggy-back a similar
supply line for America Studies departments in SRV. Notwithstanding,
commercial American film products are presently widely available throughout
Vietnam's cities. As you know, some argue to such an extent that the
indigenous film industry and other cultural domains are significantly
denuded. Whatever, impoverished American Studies departments in Vietnamese
academia and government would likely appreciate access to a not-for-profit
distribution system for American films. I will keep you posted.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
-- Christopher
Director
Vietnam National Film Archives Project
William Joiner Center
From: VSG-owner@u.washington.edu [mailto:VSG-owner@u.washington.edu]
On
Behalf Of hhtai@fas.harvard.edu
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 2:56 PM
To: Vietnam Studies Group
Subject: A friend thought you might be interested in this article
Hello,
hhtai@fas.harvard.edu thought
you would be interested in this article from TIME.com:
TIME Asia Magazine Social Evil Sells -- May. 12, 2003 http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501030512-449518,00.html
Please note that sender's email address has not been verified. This
message was sent as an FYI by a user of TIME.com.
Comments: See also article on young Vietnamese prostitutes in Cambodia
on BBC Vietnamese language service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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From: Gino Paglaiccetti [mailto:paglaicc@hawaii.edu]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 10:09 AM
To: Vietnam Studies Group
Subject: Bar girls
Has anyone seen 'Bar girls'? If so, what was your opinion of it?
Gino
University of Hawai'i
From m.digregorio@fordfound.org Wed Jun 25 12:08:58 2003
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 23:11:48 -0700
From: Michael DiGregorio <m.digregorio@fordfound.org>
Reply-To: vsg@u.washington.edu
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: Bar girls
Dear All,
I saw Bar Girls as a guest of the Cinema Department. The film is an
attempt to produce something on the equivalent of "Philadelphia"
but with an appeal to young people. As far as I am concerned, it does
not succeed since it titillates without informing and relies heavily
on stereotype.
There are also generational issues at stake. As I was leaving the theater,
I heard a middle --aged man tell his wife "That was nothing special."
I
think an older generation who is more accustomed to films that focus
on the social issues that are part of their memories found this film
empty. At the same time, the vice director of the Cinema Department
told me that real "bar girls" show up to see the film day
after day. From a brief scan of the taxis arriving at the national
theater, I'd say she was right.
Regardless of its artistic merits, filmmakers are pleased. First because
it shows that Vietnamese have not abandoned cinema as an informational
and entertainment venue. Second, because they believe the film points
out clearly to the Cinema Department that films that appeal to audiences
can earn money.
The film has reportedly earned roughly 1 million dollars. For most
of last spring, it was the number one date movie.
Mike
From: "Linda Yarr" <lyarr@gwu.edu>
To: "Vietnam Studies Group" <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: Pundit on Vietnamese movies?
Elizabeth Bowditch is somewhat knowledgeable about this subject. If
not, she may know someone else in the field. She can be reached at
EBowditch@aol.com.
Linda Yarr
> Quynh Le wrote:
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I would like to ask: In the academic field, is there someone
who can talk about contemporary Vietnamese movies?
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Le Quynh
From drummond@yorku.ca Mon Aug 25 13:20:30 2003
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:24:45 -0400
From: Lisa Drummond <drummond@yorku.ca>
Reply-To: vsg@u.washington.edu
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Pundit on Vietnamese movies?
Pham Thu Thuy at ANU has recently co-written a piece
with Dang Nhat Minh on Vietnamese film. (It's in a book Mandy Thomas
and I co-edited, Consuming Urban Culture in Contemporary Vietnam.)
She also has a piece on cinema in the book on mass media edited by David
Marr.
Lisa Drummond
From DNguyen@KQED.org Mon Aug 25 13:21:11 2003
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 13:46:19 -0700
From: Nguyen Qui Duc <DNguyen@KQED.org>
Reply-To: vsg@u.washington.edu
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: Pundit on Vietnamese movies?
Maybe this will also be helpful
Copyright 2003 Financial Times Information
All rights reserved
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2003 Vietnam News Briefs
Vietnam News Briefs
July 18, 2003
LENGTH: 345 words
HEADLINE: CULTURE & SOCIETY: NATIONAL CONTEST INSPIRES SHORT-FILM
MAKERS
BODY:
A beautiful Vietnamese woman looks at herself in the mirror and tries
to hold back her tears. Behind her back, her husband watches her. They
are in the same room, yet worlds apart. The scene is from a new short
film, "Xuat Gia Tong Phu" (Getting Married and Devoting Oneself
to One's Husband), by promising director Le Bao Trung from Ho Chi Minh
City. The 15-minute piece is one of more than 30 short films by young
and veteran directors across the country sent to the National Short
Film Competition this year.
Trung's film is based on the book of the same name by author Nguyen Cong Hoan, about a woman who has to kill herself to save her dignity. It depicts the feudalistic treatment of Vietnamese women in the 1930s. Trung said the work is his first short film, so he's eagerly awaiting the response of judges and audiences. He has invested almost VND10 million ($ 650) to make "Xuat Gia Tong Phu" for the competition. "Short films are a new phenomenon in Vietnam," Trung said. "I'm a young director and I'd like to take on the challenge of making the local film industry more professional."
More Vietnamese short films are on the way, thanks
to recent competitions created by the Vietnam Cinematography Association
and the Vietnam Department of Cinematography. With the encouragement
of the competitions' organizers, prestigious film companies around the
country, such as the HCM City Television Station's Film Company (TFS)
and the Giai Phong (Liberation) Film Company, have lent facilities and
human resources to the film-makers. Up and coming TFS director Truong
Minh Phuc has completed his film "Tieng Hot Chim Chia Voi"
(The Song of the Wagtail) for the competition. The film, a comedy, portrays
the lives of farmers who travel to the city to find a better life.
"I believe that audiences can learn some valuable things through
my film," said Phuc, who is one of Ho Chi Minh City's most popular
directors.
The National Short Film Competition will be held
at the end of August in Hanoi.
From victor.alneng@socant.su.se Mon Aug 25 13:24:37 2003
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 08:39:52 +0200
From: Victor Alneng <victor.alneng@socant.su.se>
Reply-To: vsg@u.washington.edu
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: Pundit on Vietnamese movies?
Don't know of any pundits but coincidently this weeks Saigon Times Weekly
features a six-page cover story on Vietnamese film making including
an interview with Le Huynh, director of VNs first private film company.
It is not yet on the Net (they tend to lag behind with around four weeks)
but cineasts who cannot wait can drop me a note and I will send copies
of the relevant pages. With a little luck it will quicker.
/Victor