Vietnam Film Week – The Journey of Light opens in Paris

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang speaks at the opening ceremony on December 5. (Source: VNA)

The opening ceremony of the Vietnam Film Week – The Journey of Light took place on at Le Grand Rex, the largest cinema in Europe and a cultural icon of Paris, on the evening of December 5.

The event kicked off with the screening of Tử chiến trên không (Hijacked), attracting a large number of Vietnamese and international artists, directors, filmmakers, and an audience of 2,700 from 23 countries.

In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang expressed his hope that the event will not only be a festival but also a driving force to bring the peoples of the two countries closer together, inspire creators, and open a new chapter in Vietnam-France cultural cooperation.

Ngo Phuong Lan, President of the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), said this is the first time such a major Vietnamese cinema event has been held in the capital of France. Along with classic films and art-house works that have won acclaim at international festivals, Vietnam is presenting two special "gifts" in Paris this year: Hijacked and "Mưa đỏ" (Red Rain) – both making their international debut here. These two Vietnamese "blockbusters" drew tens of millions of viewers in Vietnam during September and October.

On behalf of the organisers, Professor Nguyen Duc Khuong, Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global), affirmed that the event demonstrates the strong unity of the global Vietnamese community and reflects the aspiration to promote their homeland's humanistic values.

He noted that the programme, starting with Paris, will pave the way for bringing Vietnamese cinema to more countries and expanding its global cultural and artistic cooperation network.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency correspondents about Hijacked, director–actor Stéphan Ly Cuong said he was impressed by the performances of the Vietnamese cast, adding that Vietnamese cinema is growing rapidly and has the potential to reach international audiences.

Hoang Khanh, a Vietnamese student in Paris, said he hopes more Vietnamese film weeks will be held in France so that the world can better see Vietnam's dynamic rise.

Augustin Brutus Jay Kumar from India shared that Vietnamese films have helped bring images of Asian nations to Europe, helping strengthen cultural, political, social, and economic ties.

Running from December 5 to 12, the Vietnam Film Week is expected to welcome around 5,000 visitors to screenings of 17 representative cinematic works of Vietnam.

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