By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-08 01:48:13 | Updated at 2024-10-08 04:44:16
3 hours ago
Vietnam is poised to leverage cinema as a tool for soft diplomacy, aiming to enhance its global reputation and attract more tourists. As part of this strategy, representatives from Vietnam’s tourism and cinema sectors recently visited Hollywood to promote the country as a vibrant and attractive filming destination.
Their goal is to inspire global filmmakers to showcase Vietnam’s natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage, moving beyond the traditional focus on war-related narratives. By shifting the cinematic lens towards its beauty and diversity, Vietnam hopes to reshape its international image and encourage more visitors to experience the country’s unique offerings.
It has been 50 years since the end of the US invasion of Vietnam. The haunting images from films such as Platoon, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket no longer dominate the American psyche. These films capture a time when the war remained all too vivid in the country’s collective memory. Although the American public continues to honour those who died in the war at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, the war itself has largely faded into history, now seen as a painful chapter from a distant past.
Much like the rest of the world, Vietnam feels the passage of time and acknowledges the deep scars left by its history of wars. However, the cultural landscape is shifting, especially in the entertainment industry.
American baby boomers are no longer the primary audience for filmmakers. About half of Vietnam’s population of 100 million people is under 35 years old, and young people now dominate the cultural conversation, shaping trends and driving the film industry.
Author Larry Berman, who has written several books on Vietnam, says he does not think Hollywood will stop making films about the Vietnam war as Americans are still coming to terms with the complexities of the conflict. Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Khanh, director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, points to the success of Kong: Skull Island – which was partially filmed in Ha Long Bay – as an example of cinema boosting tourism and Vietnam’s natural beauty being showcased to a global audience.
