Hang Son Doong and filming times
The documentary series Planet Earth III aired from October 2023, episode 6 "Extremes" was shown on November 26, 2023, bringing breathtaking footage inside Son Doong cave. Recently, episode 6 titled "Extremes" was nominated for "Best Cinematography for a Non-Fiction Program" and "Best Music Composition for a Documentary Series" at the 2024 Emmy Awards.
The BBC's Planet Earth III film crew is present in Quang Binh and officially begins filming in early 2022. For more than 3 weeks, the film crew braved difficult conditions to capture the beauty of Son Doong cave, En cave, and Son Doong cave. Va and Nuoc Nut cave. Director of the Department of Tourism of Quang Binh province, Nguyen Ngoc Quy, said that the Department of Tourism, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Management Board of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and the People's Committee of Quang Binh province have created conditions to support and support the film crew. .
“This is a big company, the film is also shown abroad, the company's audience is large around the world, so when BBC chose the topic and Son Doong cave was included in the scene, it was a victory. When the film is broadcast and receives awards, it is promised that Vietnam's Son Doong cave will become more known in the world" - Mr. Quy said.
Oxalis - the only unit licensed to conduct expedition tours to Son Doong cave - supported the BBC film crew during filming in Vietnam. More than 100 employees worked tirelessly for nearly a month to support logistics. “By showing the unique beauty of Hang Son Doong and other caves on BBC's Planet Earth III program, we hope to attract many tourists, especially international visitors to Quang Binh. . We believe that our passion and hard-working spirit will not only make Quang Binh in particular and Vietnam in general a leading tourist destination, but will also open up new opportunities and new projects. large-scale projects with global media giants," an Oxalis representative shared.
This is not the first time Son Doong cave has appeared on international television or movies. In 2016, a documentary about Son Doong Cave (Vietnam) shown on ABC's reality show Good Morning America won in the "Documentary and news" category at the Grand Prix. The New York City Drone Film Festival.
In the following years, Son Doong cave continued to appear in the MV Alone, Pt. II attracted more than 390 million views by world-famous DJ Alan Walker, or National Geographic's 360-degree Son Doong project. In 2022, the 100-minute documentary "A Crack in the Mountain" about Son Doong cave was first released at the 2022 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. The film received many awards, notably winning in the category Film of the year at the Nordic Adventure Film Festival (Denmark) and the International Documentary category at the Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona (USA).
Son Doong is not the only "bright star".
In fact, developing a tourism brand through cinema is not a new story. Director Vo Thanh Hoa once shared with Lao Dong: "There is nothing better than introducing images through movies. Because travel videos only have images, while movies have more stories and emotions, making the audience better remember the destinations and landscapes in Vietnam."
Many domestic films have created positive effects for localities. The work "I see yellow flowers on green grass" made a name for itself on the tourist map for Phu Yen, or "Tet in Hell Village" or the popular series "The Soul Eater" attracted a wave of tourists. Explore the remote Sao Ha village in Dong Van district, Ha Giang. Most recently, the movie "Walking in the Bright Sky" brings beautiful footage about Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province and the cultural story of the Dao ethnic people.
International works such as The Creator (2023), "Kong: Skull Island" (2017) or Life (2017), Pan (2015)... were once set in Ha Long Bay. This shows the attraction of Vietnamese nature in the eyes of international filmmakers.
However, for cinematic effects to promote tourism promotion, Vietnam in general and localities in particular need to improve their attractiveness to attract filmmakers. Serving the promotion of cinema development, at the end of 2023, the Film Crew Attraction Index (PAI) will be built in Vietnam for the first time. The Vietnam Association for the Promotion and Development of Cinema has built PAI based on 5 criteria: Financial support, information support, field support, legal procedure support, and available infrastructure. Phu Yen is the first locality to pilot the application of the PAI Film Crew Attraction Index.
Some localities such as Khanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City are interested in investing in professional film studios to develop the film market. This is a positive sign, moving towards a future where Vietnam can both develop cinema and tourism through film studios like the success stories of many other countries.
An Expedia “Travel Trends” report found that two-thirds of global travelers consider travel inspired by cinema, and 39% have booked trips based on stories from the screen. Many developed countries have succeeded with projects to develop both cinema and tourism in parallel. China has Hengdian and Wuxi film studios invested with hundreds of millions of dollars; America is famous for Universal Studios Hollywood, which attracts millions of visitors each year as both a film studio and an amusement park...
