Films show Hoang Sa, Truong Sa archipelagoes

A scene in the documentary. Photo: tuoitre.vn

A documentary focusing on French filmmaker Andre Menras and his relationship with Vietnam will be screened in Hanoi on June 1.

Menras witnessed different periods in Vietnamese history and was a passionate advocate for the Vietnamese people.

Former President Nguyen Minh Triet granted him Vietnamese citizenship under the name Ho Cuong Quyet, for his love and contribution to Vietnam as an anti-war activist.

It is one of five documentary films to be screened on Vietnam's sea and islands produced by filmmakers of the Central Documentary and Scientific Films Studio (DSFS).

Some of the films were made during the national resistance war against the US and also detail the country's national construction and defensive efforts.

The films feature Vietnam's diverse landscape and its people, but also helps verify Vietnam's sovereignty over its territorial waters and related islands, said Pham Thi Tuyet, DSFS director.

The film screenings also form part of the activities organised to support residents and soldiers living and serving in Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.

The documentaries include Dau Song Ngon Gio (The Most Dangerous Position, 1967) by director Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, about the daily life and battles the islanders fought in Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf during the American war.

The film Truong Sa Thang 4 Nam 1988 (The Spratly Archipelago in April, 1988) by People's Artist Le Manh Thich, details the life of soldiers on Sinh Ton Island involved in the immense struggle to defend the island from pirates.

Dao Ly Son, (Ly Son Island) produced in 2009 by Cong Thanh Duc, shows how residents and soldiers protected the island.

Director Dao Thanh Tung contributed two films, Bien Cua Nguoi Viet (Sea of Vietnamese People, 2012) which provides evidence that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Viet Nam; and Andre Menras – Mot Nguoi Viet (Andre Menras – A Vietnamese Person, 2011), which depicts the first time he came Vietnam in 1968 and how he was chosen to become a Vietnamese national.

The films are scheduled to be screened at the Central Documentary and Scientific Films Studio, located on 465 Hoang Hoa Tham street, Hanoi at 7pm. Admission is free.