12th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival

Compared to feature films, viewers expect very different things from documentaries. Feature films follow a detailed storyline, while documentaries draw their life from the authentic breath of the characters, from the diverse situations, settings, and encounters that occur during the filmmaking process, and from the blending of all these elements, thereby arousing interest in the topic discussed in the film.

The greatest strength of documentary films lies in their research foundation and journalistic spirit: they observe social changes and the implications of those changes for individuals.

Some themes in this film festival resonate with developments in Vietnam, such as the story in France about young people pursuing nursing studies, honing their skills for the quiet work of caring for the elderly. Like the Swiss Nobel laureate Jacques Dubochet, or the climate activist Greta Thunberg, we ask ourselves how we can build our own lifestyles to contribute to a healthy and sustainable community?

Two films are dedicated to internationally renowned musical artists. The Spanish story centers on Enrique Morente and his rock band Lagartija Nick, the creators behind their 1996 flamenco-rock album Omega. From Germany, we have a portrait of composer Helmut Lachenmann, who rose to fame with his instrumental Musique Concrète compositions and maintained a lasting international influence for the past 50 years.

All participating films have been nominated for or won awards at prestigious film festivals such as the Leipzig International Documentary and Animation Film Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival, the Dock of the Bay Music Documentary Film Festival in San Sebastián, the Diagonales debut documentary category at the Angers Film Festival, or the Monte-Carlo Television Festival 2021.

For 10 days, from June 3rd to June 12th, 2022, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy documentary films from Vietnam and participating countries, many of which have won prestigious awards at the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio, 465 Hoang Hoa Tham, Hanoi. The films cover a wide range of topics: leaving the countryside, climate change, personal transformation to adapt to societal development, racial discrimination, and stories about famous music artists…

The event was jointly organized by the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and the European Union National Institutes for Culture and Embassies (EUNIC).

April