Like at a premiere in Hanoi, many audiences were present early, queuing to receive tickets to see "Don't Burn" - a work by director, People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh. In the darkness of the cinema, stories that seemed decades away appear closely through the eyes, fate and choices of people in war.
A young audience member - Ms. Phuong Linh shared with Lao Dong Newspaper that: "After watching the movie, I understand more about the hardship and fierceness of wartime. Besides, I feel very sympathetic to the personal feelings of the characters in the movie. From there, I appreciate the current peaceful life even more, and at the same time have more useful historical knowledge to spread.
It is the ability to touch emotions that helps cinema become a special path to educate patriotism. That feeling is nurtured when each person understands what their country has gone through, what losses today's peaceful life must trade for, and why independence and freedom are always sacred values.
A historical lesson can provide knowledge. But a true film can move viewers, make them feel remorseful and put themselves in the shoes of their predecessors.
Young people may never have heard the sound of bombs, never lived through the years of war, but through cinema, they can feel the fragility of life, the pain of separation and the spiritual strength of ordinary people.
For today's audience, when they understand that soldiers who went to war also have families, dreams and love; that they were not born to become heroes but have chosen responsibility before the Fatherland, history will no longer be far away. Sacrifice at that time is not a big, abstract concept but becomes a story of people of flesh and blood.
That is when gratitude is formed naturally, not imposed. The value of historical films is therefore not only in recreating the past. More importantly, they help viewers better understand the value of the present.
Looking back at the losses of war to cherish peace is not to keep young people in the pain of the past. On the contrary, it is a way to create a sense of responsibility for the future.
The previous generation fought to win and maintain independence. What should today's generation do to develop the country, so that those sacrifices do not become meaningless?
That question is the meeting point between patriotism and the aspiration to build the future.
In wartime, patriotism is expressed by being ready to go to battle, accepting sacrifice to protect the Fatherland. In peacetime, patriotism needs to be expressed by studying, working, being creative, living responsibly and contributing to the community.
Today's young people do not have to go to the battlefield with guns, but face other challenges: the risk of falling behind, knowledge competition, technological transformation, the complex impacts of the digital environment and increasingly high requirements for human resource quality.
A young person who researches new technologies, a worker with initiatives to improve productivity, a teacher dedicated to students, a doctor wholeheartedly treating patients or an artist creating valuable works are all continuing the spirit of service of previous generations.
The aspiration to build the future does not necessarily start from extraordinary things. It can start from an attitude of dissatisfaction with stagnation, from the desire to do today's work better than yesterday, from the awareness of putting common interests on top of personal interests.
Besides production investment, bringing films to the public is also particularly important. The participation of commercial cinema systems in Film Week has expanded opportunities for many classes of audiences to access historical works. The fact that films are screened on the big screen, in a true cinematic space, also creates a stronger emotional experience.
Historical films need to be brought more, broadcast for free more regularly to schools, industrial parks, localities, cultural spaces and digital platforms. After each screening, exchanges can be organized with directors, researchers, historical witnesses or young people so that the story on the screen can be extended by dialogue.
It is also necessary to preserve, restore and digitize valuable works. The quality of old images can create a unique authenticity, as a viewer in Hanoi commented, but good restoration will help films access the new generation more conveniently.
If a young person steps out of theater with deeper gratitude, a clearer awareness of the value of peace and the desire to do something useful for the country, the film has completed a great mission. That is to connect memories with the present, turn patriotism into action and turn gratitude into aspiration to build the future.
