The document posted on the website of the Ministry of Culture – Sports – Tourism explains why the application for consideration for the Ho Chi Minh Prize by director Tran Van Thuy with a cluster of documentary works: The people of my hometown, Betrayal, Hanoi in anyone’s eyes, Kind stories and Violin in My Lai again fail.
Accordingly, the only reason given was that the dossier “did not have enough votes to agree with 80% of the total number of members of the State-level Specialized Council present at the meeting, so it is not eligible to submit to the State-level Council for approval.” The country considers presenting the Ho Chi Minh Prize for literature and art according to the provisions of Clause 11 Article 1 of Decree No. 133/2018 – Government’s CP”.
Many people feel sad and sorry for Kindness story and Hanoi in anyone’s eyesfilms with an extremely long fate of director Tran Van Thuy, but are the phenomena of Vietnamese cinema in the 80s of the last century.
Hanoi in anyone’s eyes used to be likened to a big explosion, causing shock not only to domestic filmmakers but also to foreign countries. Honestly, it’s not an excellent film in terms of direction, or cinematography. Even director Tran Van Thuy said that he was embarrassed when he watched it again. But Hanoi in anyone’s eyes is a film that is highly ideologically appreciated when it dares to point out the “disability” of contemporary society, which has no precedent in any documentaries made before.
Completed in 1982, Hanoi in anyone’s eyes was then banned from showing, and Tran Van Thuy was monitored for being suspected of having bad intentions. After a few years, Tran Van Thuy continued to work Kindness story Although knowing in advance, there will be many difficulties. Kindness story is a film about the internal contradictions in society through stories about the fate of poor and unhappy people.
Then, the “iniquity” of Hanoi in anyone’s eyes and Kindness story has been resolved. Prime Minister Pham Van Dong while watching Hanoi in anyone’s eyes was immediately supportive of the film and director. General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh is the person who supported director Tran Van Thuy to make the film Kindness storyis considered part 2 of Hanoi in anyone’s eyes. In 1987, both films were released and were warmly received by the audience.
Hanoi in anyone’s eyes received the award Golden Lotus at the Vietnam Film Festival in 1988. Before that in 1985, Kindness story received the Silver Dove Award at the Leipzig International Film Festival (Germany). With Hanoi in anyone’s eyes and Kindness storythe films in director Tran Van Thuy’s nomination dossier also received major domestic and international film awards: The people of my hometown won the Silver Dove at the Leipzig International Film Festival (Germany), Betray Won the Gold Award at the Vietnam Film Festival 1980, Violin in My Lai won the gold award at the 43rd Asia-Pacific Film Festival.
Looking at the list of dossiers for consideration of this year’s State Prize in literature and art, musician Phu Quang is one of 37 authors who passed the review round of the State Council. In 2011, he failed to win this award because he did not have enough votes. The wife of musician Phu Quang is the one who made the application for this year’s musician award while he was on his hospital bed.
She said, if he was well, he might not have agreed to this. And to him now, everything no longer matters. She made the application only because she felt that he was too worthy and wanted her husband to be recognized by the state. She regretted that, if the award was given when he was still healthy, the musician would have more motivation to contribute.
Over time, the works of artists have been recognized by the public. But the public here is no longer the people who have the right to consider gifts, but the new councils are the ones who hold the power to “kill life” in their hands. However, the reason for the “failure” is often simply “not enough votes” by the council.
The Ministry of Culture – Sports – Tourism has written to answer questions from readers publicly. But unfortunately that is half-publicity, because there are still too many unanswered questions. For a long time, there has been a story that many famous, talented, and devoted artists are still “failed”.
The council’s reason to vote or not to vote also needs to be transparent and clear!