17 Vietnamese films set for screening at Paris’ Le Grand Rex next month

Running from December 5 to 12, the screening is part of the “Vietnam Film Week – The Journey of Light,” organized by the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA) and AVSE Global with support from the Vietnamese Embassy in France.

Le Grand Rex is the largest cinema in Europe and a long standing symbol of European film culture.

It was named the most beautiful cinema in the world by Time Out in February this year.

VFDA’s president Ngo Phuong Lan said this is not the first time a Vietnamese film week has taken place in France.

In 2014, when Lan was head of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the department worked with relevant agencies to organize a Vietnamese film week in Saint Malo, showcasing nine Vietnamese films.

“At that time, people working in the Vietnamese film industry dreamed of one day holding a major film week in the heart of Paris to present a more complete picture of Vietnamese cinema,” she said. “Now that vision has finally become reality.”

The 2025 “Vietnam Film Week – The Journey of Light” is the largest Vietnamese film week ever held in Europe, featuring a selection of 17 titles including feature films, documentaries and short films produced over the past half century.

These works have been selected for or honored at international festivals as well as major awards in Vietnam.

The lineup includes “When the Tenth Month Comes,” “The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone,” “The Building,” “The Retired General,” “Bi, Don't Be Afraid,” “Children Of The Mist,” “Cu Li Never Cries,” “Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass,” “Don't Cry, Butterfly,” “Glorious Ashes,” “Stay Awake, Be Ready,” “Live in Cloud-Cuckoo Land,” “Somewhere Nearby The Hospital,” “Elephants by the roadside” and “Song Lang.”

Two recent blockbusters, "Hijacked" and "Red Rain," will also be screened, with the former selected as the opening film and the latter closing the film week.

Lan did not claim that "Red Rain" and "Hijacked" are the best films, but noted that they are the newest titles, chosen to be introduced to international audiences for the first time alongside older films, offering the French and international public a very different view of Vietnam.

“We want to offer international audiences a rich, multi-dimensional, and distinct perspective on Vietnamese cinema, not limited to the war films of the past,” she said.

Joining the press briefing, held simultaneously in Vietnam and France, virtually from Paris, president of AVSE Global Nguyen Duc Khuong said the film week is not only a cultural event but also a bridge for emotions, knowledge, and national pride.

“We hope to introduce international friends to a dynamic, humane, and inspiring Vietnam, where the past and present intertwine, moving toward a prosperous and sustainable future,” he said.

He believes that the expressive power of cinema is the key to helping the world understand Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang said the film week goes beyond a regular screening program, helping to strengthen the friendship between Vietnam and France.

“This is an invitation to immerse yourself in a journey exploring Vietnam, its people, and culture,” the ambassador added.