Speaking to Lao Dong reporter, the representative of the strategic investor, Mr. Nguyen Danh Thang - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Feature Film Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Feature Film Studio) - said: “The divestment process has been taking too long, causing many difficulties for our company. We still have to pay land tax, while not being allowed to operate. The divestment process is almost impossible because there is no legal corridor, the longer it takes, the more damage the company will suffer. In the spirit of goodwill, we have had 3 meetings with the staff and artists of the film studio. We need a direction and solution to revive the film studio, but to do that, we need to stick together.”
According to Mr. Danh Thang, the responsible business had inappropriate behavior and would have to learn from experience because this is a business specializing in art activities.
“In the meetings, I have spoken very clearly and shared with the artists and staff of the film studio. We need to clearly see the reasons for the conflict and now, what needs to be done to overcome it, to work together to revive the film studio. The company will resolve the problems, restore production, and ensure the rights of the staff and artists of the film studio,” said Mr. Danh Thang.
Mr. Danh Thang said that the company will pay salaries and insurance for artists. Mr. Thang also affirmed that he will propose to renovate and renovate the facilities of Vietnam Feature Film Studio. The studio has been abandoned for a long time since the "deal" of equitization.
Speaking to Lao Dong reporter, director, Meritorious Artist Bui Trung Hai - who has worked for many years at Vietnam Feature Film Studio - said: "For the past 8 years, artists have had no salary, no job, no insurance money. We hope to support 2 months salary/year. At the same time, they will be paid social insurance."
Mr. Danh Thang confirmed that the company will pay insurance for the artists.
Above all, the strategic investors and the artists of the film studio who attended the three meetings all expressed their desire to revive the Vietnam Feature Film Studio. “That is the only way we can do it together, but to do it, we must unite,” said Mr. Thang.
Meanwhile, director Bui Trung Hai expressed, “I think the resumption of the Vietnam Feature Film Studio is not only meaningful to me and my current colleagues, but also meaningful to the previous generation. The Feature Film Studio is the place that has created and preserved classic films, the history of Vietnamese feature film art from the early days to recent years. When the studio is still operating, those who laid the foundation for the film industry are honored, and what they have done has people continuing and developing.
Nowadays, artists seem to be lost and forgotten. They have contributed and devoted so much, but now there seems to be no trace of them left. It is unreasonable for artists to be treated like this. The artists who came before me, in my father's generation - director - People's Artist Bui Dinh Hac, People's Artist Tra Giang, People's Artist Minh Chau... were heartbroken to witness this reality.
Right now, the film studio can still be restored and can still operate again. If we wait too long, the film studio will fade away, be wiped out, and cannot be restored, which will be very painful and will be a mistake to the Vietnamese film industry.
Vietnam Feature Film Studio was established in 1953 and has a glorious past with revolutionary films. From the studio, many classic films of revolutionary cinema were born, creating a brilliant period.
Entering the market economy period, the subsidized filmmaking team could not keep up with the times, the company suffered continuous losses and had to be equitized in 2016. Up to now, the equitization process is causing problems that cannot be resolved.
