The film “Vietnam: The next generation” by Sandy Northrop was screened on June 12 at Hanoi Cinematheque.
This documentary film produced by American film director Sandy Northrop is the third work in her trilogy on Vietnam today
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Mrs. Sandy Northrop - Source: VOVNews |
The film was screened in America on April 30, 2012 and Sandy considers the documentary film as her gift for the country of Vietnam which she loves. In 1997, Sandy followed her husband, journalist David Lamb, to Hanoi to open a representative office for The Los Angeles Times, and she started to learn about and love the small country. This created the basis for her documentary film trilogy. The first film is “Pete Peterson: Assignment Hanoi”, then “Passage: Journeys from war to peace” and “Vietnam: The next generation”.
The film “Vietnam: The next generation” profiles the lives of seven young Vietnamese, revealing the challenges, choices and dreams that shape their lives, and that of their generation.
Vietnam’s first post-war generation is growing up, and now are in their 20s and 30s and they have the resources to seek and seize opportunities and benefits for the new economy, as well as their national future, as the memories and pain of the war are gradually fading and the doors of a free-market economy are opening. This is the generation who were born and grow up during subsidised economy period with ration tickets and rice books. The film includes varied characters like A Lan Duong, who was a refugee and then becomes a successful entrepreneur, and Henry Nguyen, a businessman who has been living in American since he was a child.
They all now believe the living standards will be better tomorrow than they are today. However, in order to gain their desire, there are many difficulties and challenges they have to overcome. Making a living is not easy for the engineer Le Viet Tien, another character, who has to live far from his wife, children and family to contribute to building the Ho Chi Minh Highway, or character Pham Van Vinh and his sister Loan together with thousands of children living on the streets; and Le Thi Phuong, who lost a leg in a landmine accident but now is still the sole supporter of her entire family.
The real people and destinies in Vietnam are in the film by Sandy Northdrop in order to describe the daily working life, tiredness and sweat, which are symbols of the challenges and difficulties Vietnam is facing on the path of development in the current period.
The documentary film brings lively insight about actual life, bringing new thoughts and emotions to the audience. The screening was attending by many foreigners living and working in Vietnam./.