Sports & Entertainment
Discovery to air Vietnam documentaries in May
  • | VNS | April 30, 2011 10:11 PM

Four documentaries by winners of Discovery Channel\'s First Time Filmmakers (FTFM) Vietnam initiative will premiere in May, providing unique perspectives of a nation transforming from a rural-based society into an emerging force in the Asian economy.

First-time: A scene from the documentary City of a Thousand Years. — VNS Photo

The series consists of four 30-minute documentaries which form a tapestry of the nation\'s traditions and culture, alongside the extraordinary social changes taking place as a result of globalisation.

"Each of these documentaries reflects the filmmakers\' original ideas and tells a compelling story of Vietnam\'s modernisation and change, through unique local perspectives," said Vikram Channa, vice president of production and development for Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.

The documentaries include Nhung Chien Binh Chong Tac Duong (Jam Busters) by Phan Duy Linh, which tells the story of how some residents of Hanoi are looking to ease the city\'s traffic crisis.

The film focuses on Tuyen, who reports for the Traffic Channel, a radio show educating listeners about traffic rules and encouraging them to report traffic jams live. It also follows Dung, who passionately lobbies for new traffic infrastructure, as well as Ha Anh, the leader of a group of student volunteers who are tired of being knocked off their motorbikes or being late for class.

Rap Chieu Phim Cua Bac Long (Mr Long\'s Travelling Cinema) by Hoang Manh Cuong tells story of Long, a remarkable raconteur who has entertained people on the streets of Hanoi for half-a-century with his homemade style of storytelling, relying on ingenuity and low-tech gadgetry to provide a multi-sensory experience for his audiences. Long projects paper cut-out images, then diffuses various aromas, simulates wind and rain with fans and water bottles, even producing sound effects with tin cans and string. But on the occasion of Hanoi\'s millennial celebrations, Long seeks to reach new audiences using computer animation.

Thanh Pho Mot Nghin Nam (City of a Thousand Years) by Nguyen Manh Ha tells the interlocking stories of architect Nguyen Van Quang, the owner of Hanoi\'s tiniest house, and an artist who builds a Bridge of Sound made of bamboo.

Quang and his colleagues, who spent four years on a mission to develop an ambitious housing project he called the Utopia Project. His vision was to build a self-sustaining city with the biggest houses in the world to be fueled by renewable energy.

Elderly Nguyen Thi Nhan has lived for 40 years in a tiny opening in the wall of the O Quan Chuong (East Gate), the last standing gate of ancient Hanoi. Hers is believed to be the smallest house in Hanoi, but she is forced to move as authorities begin restoration work on the gate ahead of the Ha Noi millennium celebrations. Meanwhile, artist Dao Anh Khanh prepares to stage a performance that will be his personal tribute to the city, featuring a large bamboo bridge that acts as a metaphor for an ancient Ha Noi on the brim of modernity.

In Cau Chuyen Cai Tang (Digging up the Dead), filmmaker Dao Thanh Tung tells story of the Vietnamese tradition of digging up the bones of the dead, in the belief that it will help loved ones reach the next world. Three years after her father-in-law\'s burial, Mai and her family plan his re-burial ceremony in Hanoi\'s biggest cemetery, Van Dien. Ngo Van Luong is a gravedigger at the cemetery, where millions of Vietnamese have been buried over the past 50 years. But change is afoot as Van Dien Cemetery is slated for closure, and Luong must come to terms with a break with tradition and society\'s increasing reliance on cremation.

Jam Busters will be aired on Thursday, May 5, at 8pm, and Friday, May 6, at 7am, 1pm and 11pm. Others will be aired on successive Thursdays. The documentary project was made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation.

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