A still from Petit Samedi which will be shown on June 6 at National Documentary and Scientific Film Studio. The 12th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival has beensuccessfully engaging local audiences with fascinating documentaries formore than ten years.
Back after a year postponement because of COVID-19, the festival features worksfrom 11 countries namely Austria, Wallonia-Brussels Federation, France,Italy, Germany, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the UK,and host Vietnam.
"The films being showcased at this year are works of the highestaesthetic value, imbued with the culture of each participatingcountries and displaying the trademark of each director," said NguyenQuang Tuan, president of the studio.
During ten days, the audience will have opportunity to watch a richprogramme of documentaries, with many of them havebeen awarded international prizes.
The film selection covers a great diversity of themes such aslife of people leaving their countryside, climate change, racism orpopular artists.
Two films, My Way (Germany)and Petit Samedi (Wallonia-BrusselsFederation) are highlights of the festival. My Way isabout composer Helmut Lachenmann who has been influencingcontemporary music worldwide for more than 50 years.
The film brings the audience closer to the music and the man character.Viewers will be immersed in the thoughts and adventures ofthis extraordinary artist's creative work -- at a stage in hislife where the ending becomes increasingly tangible.
The 90-minute film was made in 2020 by director Wiebke Popel and wonBest Film at Dock of the Bay in San Sebastian. It will be shown at7.45pm on June 5 with English and Vietnamese subtitles.
Directed by Paloma Sermon-Dai in 2020, PetitSamedi won several awards including Magritte Awards 2022and Grand Prix at Premiers Plans Film Festival 2021.
It tells the story of a mother and her heroin-addicted adult son in theWallonian hinterland. Petit Samedi createsa portrait of dependence, intertwining roles of individual, family and socialco-existence without offering any easy answers.
It is the first feature-length documentary by director Sermon-Dai. Selected inthe Forum line-up of the 70th Berlinale, it is as much a filmmaker’seffort as a home movie. The director is younger sister of the maincharacter.
It will be shown on June 6 at 7.35pm with Vietnamese subtitles.
Each night will show one Vietnamese documentary followed bya European film. The Vietnamese films include UnlimitedBattle, Reviving Lands, Two Hands and VietnameseTea Talk made by veteran directors.
Unlimited Battle by Vietnamese Meritorious Artist Nguyen Quang Tuanand Nguyen Anh Ngoc depicts images of dedicated front-line forces against theCOVID-19 pandemic.
It begins at 7pm with English subtitles. The festival isco-held by EU National Institutes for Culture and the film studio with freeentrances./.
VNA
