On the afternoon of September 15, at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, the seminar "Cinema and heritage - From nurturing talents to developing creative industries" took place with the participation of historians, directors, producers, cinematographers, cultural experts, UNESCO representatives, heritage management units and some localities.
The activity is part of a series of programs towards the 950th anniversary of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, focusing on the relationship between heritage, creative talent, film production environment and creative industry.
Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Cinema Promotion Association - said that cinema cannot only record or illustrate heritage but can also unlock stories, recreate memories, revive values that seem familiar and bring them to the public with a new perspective.
In other words, cinema has made heritage go into contemporary life, opening up new perspectives and becoming a material for creation. To do that, we need talents and a favorable creative environment," said Ms. Ngo Phuong Lan.
According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, to do that, talent and a favorable creative environment are needed. Nurturing talent and developing the creative industry are therefore two connecting issues, in which the role of creators, especially the younger generation, becomes important.
Director, People's Artist Khai Hung said that young people today make movies very well, with the support of technology, they can film a movie and release it quickly, even can film and edit it with a phone and then self-release it and upload it to YouTube.
30 years ago, we made very different films, but now young people have a faster way. The films that young people make, I see the purity," the male director said.
Director Ha Le Diem said that the young generation of filmmakers is lucky to receive support from predecessors when doing art. When making films, Le Diem is trained with a film camera, is not allowed to carry a memory card, has a lot of battery, and is limited to filming for 30 minutes.
I was scolded a lot by the teacher when studying, even to the point of tears welling up, but I myself learned perseverance and creativity. When making the movie "Children in the Mist", I had to read many books about the history and culture of the Mong people. When doing post-production, I also asked for advice from people who understand Mong culture so that the movie is most realistic," Ha Le Diem said.
The young female director said that she pursues direct documentary films, that is, films about events that are happening and about to happen, if you do not understand culture and history, it is difficult to predict the next developments of the work.
Young people making films are required to understand the heritage and culture of that land. Currently, there are many young people born in 2000 making films who not only go to the library to learn, but they also go there, thanks to technology support, they will tell a larger story," Ha Le Diem said.
As a long-time historian, Professor, Doctor of Science, People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Historical Science Association - believes that young filmmakers need to have knowledge of history and culture. Culture is placed at the center of human development strategies, but these topics have not been given due attention.
Mr. Ngoc believes that for young people to love culture, history in schools needs to be given more attention so that students have comprehensive knowledge.
Sharing at the event, Mr. Ta Quang Dong - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism - said that to have valuable works that are competitive internationally, cinema must start from scripts, writers, directors, producers and professional teams. Along with training, it is necessary to focus on discovering and developing creative talents.
According to Deputy Minister Dong, heritage is both an object that needs to be preserved and a resource for creating new values. Exploiting heritage through cinema requires understanding, respect for authenticity and responsibility to history and culture.
A film industry that wants to have valuable and internationally competitive works must start from scripts, from writers, directors, producers and a team of well-trained professionals with new thinking and ability to work in an international environment," Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong emphasized.
