The crew of the widely panned documentary series Hanh trinh theo chan Bac (Retracing Uncle Ho’s Travels).

A documentary on Vietnam’s distinguished political leader and intellectual Ho Chi Minh produced by Ho Chi Minh City Television has been widely criticized for its unconvincing and superficial treatment of the man’s life.

It was shot in Vietnam and 14 countries and territories where Uncle Ho worked and lived in from 1911-1941 when he was devising strategies to liberate Vietnam from French colonialization.

The second part of the series will contain 20 episodes, to be televised in 2011.

Viewers had eagerly awaited the release of the series to learn more about the president’s experiences and inspirations during his journeys.

Parts of the film that were shot abroad, however, merely show audiences places where the revolutionary had lived and worked without providing in-depth accounts of what his life was like.

The scenes were mostly shot from the windows of buses, trains and planes and were restricted to street panoramas. In the Hong Kong episode, the film crew visited the prison where Uncle Ho had been locked up but was denied access.

The same situation occurred when the crew came to Moscow to shoot the building where the leader used to work but couldn’t get inside. Scenes in the US episode resembled a touristic overview rather than a comprehensive depiction of Uncle Ho’s daily life.

Commentaries left viewers straining to imagine Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary activities in these countries, as there are no witnesses to provide direct accounts about the man.

Each episode concludes with a bold statement such as “standing in this place we are overwhelmed with emotions, awe and respect for Uncle Ho, the eminent leader,” which sounds hollow given the lack of details to substantiate the leader’s achievements.

“The documentary shows only a superficial understanding, lacks thoroughness and in-depth quality and thus is of limited historical value,” said film director Le Hoang, whose famous feature Gai nhay (Bar Girls) in 2003 had helped bring audiences into theaters and revived the local movie industry.

“It provides no connection between the past and present, thus failing to convince viewers and evoke feelings among them,” he added.

A viewer in HCMC’s District 12 said: “I couldn’t wait to see the series, but it let me down. The presentation felt like it was just a group of tourists who visited the places Uncle Ho had visited.”

Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) was recognized as a great leader and eminent cultural figure by UNESCO in 1987 and listed as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time Magazine in 1998.

Reported by Do Tuan