From December 5th to 12th, 2025, the ""Vietname Film Week - Journey of Light" was successfully held in Paris, France, marking an important milestone in promoting Vietnamese cinema and culture to the world.
The event was organized by the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA) in collaboration with the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts Global (AVSE Global), under the patronage of The Vietnamese Embassy in France attracted over 6,000 visitors from France and nearly 20 other countries.
For the first time, 17 outstanding Vietnamese films, including feature films, documentaries, and short films produced over the past half-century, were selected to be presented to the French public. Notable examples include: "When Will October Come?", "The Wild Field", "The Retired General", "Bi, Don't Be Afraid", "Children in the Mist", "I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass", "Brilliant Ashes", "Battle in the Air", "Red Rain"... The highlight of the Vietnamese Film Week in France lies in the diverse range of films screened and meaningful exchange activities, such as the panel discussion "Vietnamese and French Cinema: Opportunities for Cooperation", film crew exchanges, and workshops connecting young filmmakers... Notably, "Red Rain" - a film that set a box office record in Vietnam and represented the country in the Oscar competition - deeply moved international audiences.
The interest of foreign audiences in these Vietnamese film. The films presented in Paris reveal a remarkable reality: Vietnamese cinema is telling purely Vietnamese stories—about war, peace , historical memory, contemporary life, or social changes—but not confined within the borders of national culture. Instead, they are told in a modern, emotionally rich language, touching the hearts of audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds. Ms. Pham Thi Kim Yen, Counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in France, expressed: “The week is not just a film screening program, but a journey, an invitation for audiences to discover and rediscover the landscapes, people, dreams, and challenges of Vietnam through the lens of filmmakers. Each film, each discussion, celebrates the creativity, resilience, and soul of Vietnam.”
This event is part of Vietnam's increasingly vibrant international film exchange activities in recent times. Previously, Vietnamese films have made impressive appearances at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), and other international events. This active participation in numerous international forums partly reflects the maturity, confidence, and readiness of Vietnamese filmmakers to integrate internationally.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, bringing Vietnamese films abroad is no longer an isolated effort, but is gradually being placed within the overall national cultural promotion strategy. Many works not only participate in film festivals but also in commercial screenings, exchanges, and seminars, creating multi-dimensional connections between Vietnamese filmmakers and international audiences. This creates a favorable foundation for bringing Vietnamese cinema to many countries, expanding the global network of cultural and artistic cooperation, and playing an active role in cultural diplomacy , promoting the country to international friends through outstanding films.
This reality places new demands on filmmakers and film industry managers. Bringing a film to the world stage is not just about the number of events or screenings, but requires a long-term, synchronized strategy from personnel training, script investment, production to promotion. Therefore, it needs thorough preparation in both content and form, and the mobilization of social resources to participate effectively.
