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There have been times, when looking at the score of history, many people were bored about "indifferent" to the history of the country. However, an old teacher, told me: "You just believe, the young people are not indifferent to national history, they have not been taught properly to learn history, love history".
It is true that the young generation of Vietnam today is not emotionless, cold with history as people used to be concerned. They are quietly showing patriotism in their own way - through movies, social networks, practical actions. But in order for the patriotic fire to be sustainable, needing the energy from adults, from filmmakers, schools, mass organizations and cultural policies.
We need more historical films invested, with depth and quality. Need more creative spaces for young people to tell stories of history in their language: podcast, vlog, interactive drama, role -playing model ... need more trust, empower them so they are not only the recipient, but also the creator of historical - cultural heritage.
About the previous time, when seeing a long line of young people lined up to watch the movie "Dao, Pho and Piano" - the film exploited the topic of historical and revolutionary revolution with a new and close storytelling, I saw a great way to reach young people. That is through culture.
At a theater in Hanoi, I caught a group of students carrying a notebook to record emotions after watching "peaches, pho and piano" - set in the first day of 1947 when the troops and people of Hanoi ended 60 days and nights against the French, and moved to the area to prepare for the periodic resistance battlefield. In the atmosphere covering bombs, the story of patriotic, brave but also proud and romantic people are recreated nostalgic and emotional. The war when being poetic made viewers no longer terrified it, on the contrary, making the audience more peaceful.
Or the stories in "Tunnels: the sun in the dark", behind the hardship, danger, nearby - Death are the people who are brave, intelligent and full of kindness. The success of director Bui Thac is the not describing the war in a hard way. Of course, in the content, details are still discussed. But on social networks, young people commented very positively about this movie. Some people say that they have shed tears when they feel the losses and sacrifices of the previous generation to preserve this river.
Historical film effects spread strongly on digital platforms. Tiktok, YouTube, Facebook are filled with film review clips, debate, comments on historical figures, and also cosplay versions, recreating the scene. It is worth mentioning that most of the initiators are very young - gene z with sharp and creative perspective. Movie, from just a propaganda tool, is now really becoming a "bridge" to bring history to young people, evoking water naturally and deeply.
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But if you say artworks, or many film films on revolutionary themes, the war just evokes patriotism is not enough. The deepest transformation is that the younger generation has turned into actions, into responsibility of citizens towards the country.
It is not difficult to see the image of young people changing the avatar with the national flag, sharing documents about the heroic resistance war or checking-in at historical sites.
Not only stopping at emotions, the younger generation today is turning patriotism into action through actively participating in activities on major holidays: Hung Vuong's death anniversary, the liberation day of the South, reunification of the country 30.4, Independence Day 2.9 ...
Many universities and unions - Associations have actively implemented programs on sources, cleaning historical monuments, offering incense to commemorate martyrs. The special thing is that these activities are no longer a movement or form, but are increasingly being actively involved, proposed and spread by young people.
Many young people actively organize conversations with veterans, collect war artifacts, rebuild historical drama to perform at school. All are built by the children themselves, directing and performing.
I have met a group of students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU Hanoi) to visit Dong Loc junction in the hot summer day in the North Central region. I ask a female student why you choose this journey instead of traveling to Dalat or Phu Quoc? She answered very gently: "I feel that I need to understand the losses to cherish the present. That's the way I show my patriotism."
In the recent article with the title "The future for the generation", General Secretary To Lam emphasized: "In the process of deep international integration, the younger generation also needs to be educated and fostered to keep and promote the national cultural identity. Culture plays the role of an important spiritual foundation in the comprehensive development process of Vietnamese youth. International school.
The General Secretary affirmed: “The youth work is the vital issue of the nation, one of the factors that determine the success or failure of the revolution, an important task of both the political system and the whole society. Investment and development of the younger generation become a leading strategic priority in the new period. strong and national will ”.
Culture is an indispensable element in human development strategy. We need to continue investing in preserving and promoting the value of cultural and artistic heritage, and at the same time renovating and modernizing to suit the times. The goal is to build Vietnamese people rich in national identity: patriotism, kindness, creativity, integration without dissolving. The promotion of cultural industry, making culture into an economic motivation and national soft power should also be focused.
The cultural industry that Vietnam is aiming for is not only an economic story but also to maintain and develop cultural values for Vietnamese people and spread to the world.
Success in war and history in Vietnam as "Tunnels: The Sun in Dark"; "Dao, Pho and Piano", although it is not possible in the cultural industry, shows positive signs of a new and promising direction.
Someone once asked me: "Does the young generation still patriotic like his father today?". I think the answer is not in words, but in the action they are silently doing every day - and what I see is a patriotic generation with understanding, emotion and responsibility. They may not sing "songs not forgotten" as their parents, but they will rap back to Truong Son, build Tiktok on the day of unifying the country ... and contribute to preserving the sovereignty of the sea and islands in the way of the era.
Patriotism has never been an old concept - it only changes the image over time. And today, in the image of a young person who shed tears in the cinema when watching historical movies, or in the persistent footsteps of the student about the source, I saw a future Vietnam - strong, increasingly developed and proud.
