Vietnamese youngsters making short films: Diversity and difference

Although the young film makers still show some shortcomings, they have also gained significant recognition at regional and international film fests, bringing optimistic signs for the future of Vietnamese cinema.

A favourite trend of youngsters

In today’s digital era, making a short film cannot be easier for youngsters. All they need is a camera with a video shooting mode, the support of dedicated software, and a small amount of money. Some youngsters even use their mobile phone for filming in case they need a hidden camera scene in their films.

After filming, they do the editing and montage sequences themselves. Their short films often touch on major topics such as family, schools and friendship.

Although the stories told in the films are quite interesting, the techniques of the producers are still quite amateur. Many of them had basic mistakes: the background noise drowned the characters’ voice or the characters, unconnected transitions between scenes, and unprofessional performances of actors.

Many competitions and projects for short film makers have been launched, providing venues for young film producers to learn from each other while showcasing their talent and passion, including the ‘Chung Ta Lam Phim’ (Let’s Make Movies); Take5 2014; ‘10 months, 10 documentary films’; 48 Hour Film Project Vietnam, YxineFF, and Hanoi Doclab.

Recently, television stations have opened their doors to welcome short films. The ‘Corner of Short Film’ hosted by Ho Chi Minh City Television, the ‘Hour of Short Film’ programme by Yan TV channel, and ‘Films made by Youngsters’ by Vietnam Television’s Channel 6 have promoted impressive short films by amateur producers. Such programmes have received much appreciation and interest from audiences.

Short film has also been added as a new category in many prestigious annual cinema prizes, including the Gold Lotus Award, the Golden Kite Awards, and the Golden Bee Awards, which have helped discovered many young talents in the country’s film industry.

Vietnamese short films make ways to the world

A scene in the 25-minute flick “Another City” by Pham Ngoc Lan

In early 2016, Vietnamese cinema heard good news: ‘Mot Thanh Pho Khac’ (Another City) directed by 1986-born Pham Ngoc Lan was selected to compete for the Golden Bear award in the short film category of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, against other competitors from all over the world. 

Although the film did not earn a prize, it was an encouraging sign showing the world’s acknowledgement of the young Vietnamese film maker, who was a student of the lab for documentary filmmaking and video art – DocLab.

Young Vietnamese directors have also been featured in the Cannes film festival's Short Film Corner for four consecutive years, with films including ‘A Good Day to Die’ by Young Media group in 2011; ‘Hai – Tu – Sau’(Monday- Wednesday- Friday) by Nguyen Hoang Diep, and ‘Canh Ba Ba' (Turtle Soup) by Yeti group and directed by Tsering Tashi Gyalthang in 2012; 16:30 by Tran Dung Thanh Huy in 2013; and ‘Toi 30’ (I’m 30) by Hoang Tran Minh Duc in 2014.

In addition, Vietnamese short films have been named at many international film fests. ‘Dong Vao Mo Ra’ by Do Quoc Trung (Close, Open) won the Golden Award at the REC Film Festival 2014 in Germany. ‘Thang Rom’ (The Lottery Boy) by Tran Dung Thanh Huy was selected for the 2015 Asian Project Market (APM) in the Republic of Korea.

In May 2011, four Vietnamese documentaries which won the Discovery channel's First Time Filmmakers Vietnam competition, were broadcast on the channel in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The featured documentaries were ‘Thanh Pho 1,000 Nam’ (One thousand-year-old city) by Nguyen Manh Ha, ‘Cau Chuyen Cai Tang’ (Digging up the Death) by Dao Thanh Tung, ‘Rap Chieu Phim Di Dong Cua Ong Long (Mr. Long's Travelling Cinema) by Hoang Manh Cuong, and ‘Nhung Chien Binh Chong Tac Duong' (Jam Busters) by Phan Duy Linh.

Advantages and shortcomings

Youngsters learn important skill in filmmaking at the Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents (TPD) (Photo: tpdmovie.com.vn)

While short film making has been growing around the world, it has only just become popular in Vietnam in recent years as a trend among the younger generation.

The main weakness in Vietnamese short films is the lack of professionalism and synchrony in steps of film making. The producers still hold onto the idea that a short film is a shortened version of a long film, failing to see that a short film has a different structure from a long film.

Many young producers have not yet appreciated the importance of every image and detail of the film. Meanwhile, others pay too much attention to producing eye-catching image rather than focusing on the story and making scenes more connected.

However, there are many young directors who stand out with their creativity and their works impress audiences. Some directors are brave enough to touch upon pressing issues such as domestic violence, or stories in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

There are more and more youngsters in Vietnam showing an interest in short film production. They are experiencing a wider range of themes and have showed efforts to improve the quality of their works. It is an encouraging sign for Vietnam’s cinema industry.

For long-term development short film production needs proper investment from the State and the film studios. There is no doubt that in the near future, young film makers can make great strides for Vietnamese cinema in its integration and development process.