Film-maker takes on US, RoK

The private film company LBT has introduced its latest film on children in hopes of drawing young audiences away from Korean and American productions that have come to dominate cinemas this summer.
The private film company LBT has introduced its latest film on childrenin hopes of drawing young audiences away from Korean and Americanproductions that have come to dominate cinemas this summer.

Thenew production Bao Mau Sieu Quay (Babysitters) is a comedy about a groupof pre-school children, focusing on the relationships between parents,teachers and children.

The film features Bo, a four-year-old boy in a group of four kids who must protect his friends from a pair of kidnappers.

"Wedon't bring serious educational messages," said the film's director LeBao Trung. "I hope our film can entertain audiences, both children andtheir parents. After watching, I believe adults will gain useful lessonson finding a way to love and understand their kids."

In the film, Trung used pre-school children from HCM City who had no previous training in acting.

"It'sthe best way to make my film's characters popular with youngaudiences," he explained, adding that his staff tried to have a goodunderstanding of the lifestyle of children by observing the youngactors.

Bao Mau Sieu Quay's premiere recently attracted more than 1,500 children, who laughed and screamed during the film.

"Webelieve the success in ticket sales of Trung's film occurred becauseuntil now there has been no Vietnamese children's film this summer,"said Dinh Lang, movie critic for Dien Anh Viet Nam (VietnamCinematography) magazine.

He said that despite strong demand from young audiences, the number of quality films for children was still low.

"Themain difficulty is that film producers often receive poor screenplayswhich aren't suitable for youngsters. They don't want to make film or TVseries, worth billions of dong, with these lightweight screenplays," hesaid.

"Producers and directors need good screenplays and skilled young actors who can breathe life into children's roles," he said.

"Directors and screenwriters often do not fully understand what youngsters want and think," he added.

"Myfriends and I do not like Vietnamese children's movies because they areboring. In our view, the characters are just silly boys and girls. Wedon't think and act like them," said Nguyen Kim Chi, a seven-year-oldgirl from HCM City.

Trung said that film producers should workjointly with publishing houses and talented authors to create qualitybooks and screenplays for children.

"Movies and theatres for children are a promising market," he said.-VNA

See more

Vietnamese football players try to put pressure on their opponents but spurned chances to break the duck. (Photo: VNA)

Football: Vietnam held to goalless home draw by Kyrgyzstan

Vietnamese could not make home ground advantage count as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Kyrgyzstan at the Group I of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2025 Qualifiers held in the northern province of Phu Tho on October 23.

The excavation covers an area of over 6,000sq.m with 60 research pits, each measuring 100sq.m. (Photo courtesy of the Institute of Archaeology)

Over 100 burials from 4000 years ago discovered in Hanoi

Archaeologists from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, the Hanoi Museum and the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities have announced the discovery of over 70 graves from the pre-Dong Son period and 40 graves from Dong Son period at the Vuon Chuoi archaeological relic in Kim Chung commune, Hoai Duc district.

Pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and nem ran (fried spring rolls) attract the attention of many Korean and foreign visitors at a festival in the Republic of Korea. (Photo: VNA)

Festival promotes Vietnam-RoK cultural exchange

A cultural festival has been held in Uijeongbu city of the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Gyeonggi province to mark the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Association (VWA) in the country.

The women dance to the tunes of the “Nguoi Ha Noi (Hanoi people)”, “Tien ve Ha Noi” (Marching to Hanoi), and “Ha Noi nhung cong trinh” (Hanoi’s construction works)” songs. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi Ao dai dance marks Vietnamese women’s day

More than 70,000 women from across the capital city of Hanoi dressed up in Ao dai (traditional long dress) and participated in a folk dance ensemble on October 20 to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Hanoi and the 94th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Union.

Runners compete in the Vietnam Jungle Marathon last year. This year, the event will welcome around 1,500 runners from almost 40 nations. (Photos courtesy of the organising board)

Vietnam Jungle Marathon welcomes runners from around the world

The Vietnam Jungle Marathon (VJM) returns for its seventh edition, welcoming around 1,500 runners from almost 40 nations to the stunning trails of Pu Luong Nature Reserve in Thanh Hoa province on October 19, featuring picturesque 10km to 70km routes.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam attends UNESCO Executive Board’s 220th session in France

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 220th session of the UNESCO Executive Board on October 14-16 in Paris, which saw the participation of representatives from 58 member countries and over 100 observer countries.

Vietnamese men's football is set to enter the top eight in Asia and qualify for World Cup. (Photo: VNA)

Sports development strategy approved

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has signed a decision approving the sports development strategy until 2030 with a vision to 2050, with an aim to promote the sector in a sustainable and professional direction.

An exhibition held during the annual international ArtTech Fusion event last year (Photo courtesy of UEH)

HCM City to host international ArtTech event

New technological applications in the ArtTech field will be showcased at the annual international ArtTech Fusion event that will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from October 22-24.

The reenactment of a royal procession in the late 19 century at the National Museum of Asian Art. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam Week in US helps promote Vietnamese cultural heritage

The Vietnam Week 2024 has been held in Washington D.C, the US, from October 4-12, aiming to honour the country’s rich cultural heritage, enrich Vietnamese-American people's identity and commend the achievements of the Vietnamese-American community.