Article in Heritage Magazine about the five Discovery Channel project involving five Vietnamese Filmmakers

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2. wall" narration.FirstTime Filmmakers,
Vietnam is encouraging each of the
directors record
to and include much
as
of the naturalvoicesof the subjects
of
their films as possible.They are also
encouraged onlyinclude voices
to the of
on-camera experts and off-camera
narration needed support story.
as to the
Dao ThanhTung,with nearly15 years
experience a documentary
as filmmaker,
isthe mostexperienced the group.His
in
film, "Life and Death in the City",
focuses an ensemble characters
on of
livingnearor workingin the soon-to-be-
closed Van Dien Cemetery.He will
weave their storiestold in their own
voices with images, sounds plenty
and of
Pacificto produce these 3O-minute, hundreds hand-drawn
of cartoon"flip " Discovery moments" about
character-driven and story-based books", and 3-D glasses with 3-D Vietnamese funeral and reburial
documentaries. Twelve (out
directors of photographic books. "l have been practices. "The lifeof one humanbeing
68 who submitted theirproposals)were attractedto Mr. Long for years, and is a journeyfrom birth to death", says
selected Augustto cometo Hanoi
last alreadyhad developeda script about Mr. Tung. "Our first home is the
and pitch their storiesto a panel of him,"says Mr. Cuong. "ln my original maternity ward and our last is the
experienced filmmakers, including script, presented Longin a portrait. graveyard."
I Mr.
Vikram Channa, vice presidentof What I am learning from Discovery is
content of DiscoveryNetworks Asia- how to develop storyaroundhim."
the Forthe last50 years, mostHanoians,
for
Pacific.Fiveout of the 12 werechosen that hasmeantVan Dien. Somepeople
to pafticipate the program.
in Forseveral the filmmakers
of workingin have made a living off the cemetery.
the program,learning developthe Others have suffered becauseof the
to
"Thisisan extraordinaryopportunity
for story meanslearningto go with the pollutionit causes. With its closure,
Vietnamese filmmakersto showcase flow. "Passions" a film about however,come mixed feelingswhich
is
their talentsto a globalaudienceand ballroom dancing Hanoi. One of its Mr. Tung discovers his four main
in in
have a new world of international main characters a middle-aged
is tao characters: gravedigger, fortune
a a
television productionopen up before pho (sweet tofu soup) seller who teller,a man preparing rebury his to
them,'said Sarah managing
Macdonald, expresses her love of life through father,and a man livingin nearby Tam
director TenAlpsAsia.
of ballroom dancing. PhanY Ly plansto Hiep village.
film Mrs. Tho watchingdancers a at
Like Mr. Ha, all five filmmakers
have young people'scompetitionthe day No matterhow much experience they
focusedon characters tell stories
that of before she comoetesin the senior have,all the filmmakers learning are to
the diversityand passions Hanoi's
of competition. mightbefrightened
She by work within the styleand standards of
people. their professionalism, that is part of an international
but broadcasting company.
the story. This is not alwayseasy,but as several
Hoang Manh Cuong, a documentary have noted, it has been worth their
director VW, is shooting film about
at a Capturing realvoices realpeople effort.
the of
Mr. NguyenVan Long, Hanoi'smost tellingtheir own stories what makes
is
unusual storyteller. Every day, this project sucha challenge. about Phan Duy Linh, director of " )am
For
throughouthisadult life,Mr. Long has five years, the Vietnam Cinema Fighters", film about people
a tryingto
rycled 16km acrossHanoi from Van Departmenthas been encouraging solve Hanoi's traffic oroblems.
Phucsilkvillage,
wherehe was born,to documentary filmmakers to use commentsthat the program is a
Thu LeZoo. 'Strapped the backof his
to synchronoussound. Unfortunately, "precious opportunity learn lot from
to a
bike is a metal case containing his mosttelevision documentaries produced Discovery TenAlpsaboutscripting,
and
batteredRussian-made projector,
film in Vietnam stilledited
are with "wall-to- shooting, post-production working
and
1 1 6 HERITACEFASHION 2OIO
FER-MAR

3. with characters.' What surprises
him strongpeople,"says Mr. Ha. "l haveto -
brandfranchises all the tinselthat is
the most is the "amountof time and learn to be patient,to listento their calledmodern? Or is it the peoplewe
effort they are investing films like
in comments whileI alsoprotect idea.
my " meetandthe relationships make?
we As
"
this. Mrs. Nhan remarks: "lf people
Mr. Ha'scentral character unusual
is in
understand I willbe happy."
me,
Hoang Manh (.uong saysthe whole that she comesinto focusthroughher
process "kind cf difficult
is sometimes." unfotunate place Hanoi's
in Millennium VikramChannapointsout, "Discovery
"We agree on some detail, then it Celebrations. Mrs. Nhan's houseis in Networks Asia-Pacific been at the
has
changes. I thir k we have finisheda the city'slastremaining gate,and since forefront of producingdocumentary
script, then am asked revise
and to it." thisgateisscheduled be restored,
to she content with Asianfilmmakers since
ever
Local executive[,roducer the prolect, will haveto move. As Mr. Ha explains, we beganoperations Asia 15 years
for in
Ha Thuc Van, managingdirectorof "Mrs. Nhandoesnot believe that this ago. We have alwaysbelieved the in
Redbridge, laughs. "That'spar for the filmwillhelpherkeep house has creativity ingenuity localup-and-
the she and of
course", say;. Ms.Vanhasworked livedin for 40 years, rather,
she but that it coming filmmakers. Our hope is to
on about 20 international projectsover willhelppeople understand
to her." collaborate with and encourage
the past five years. "lt's a stressful, Vietnamese filmmakers bringunique
to
creativeprocess People fight to get Like many in the Old Quarter,even insights abouttheircountryand culture
what they want, but they can't get t h o u g h h e r h o u s e i s s m a l l ,s h e i s to a broaderaudience. expertise
Our lies
everything.Yor haveto focuson the reluctantto leave the f riends and in craftingstoriesfor an international
film and realize'hat everyonewantsto neighbors that have been the warm audience. The filmmakers themselves
make best
the "
filn possible. environment herdifficult Mr. Ha's bringan authentic
of life. localvoice.Bringing
filmwill keepcoming back thispoint. together
to thesetwo distinctapproaches,
But the fight tself is a processof What makes citylivable? it landmark In our expenence,
a ls producesgreat
learning. "l h;tveto fight so many skyscrapers, streets full of cars,Iuxury documentaries. "
Lookfor
Intel
Inside.