LookAtVietnam – Five critically acclaimed Vietnamese films were screened during the Good Morning Vietnam cultural smorgasbord in South Korea this week.

A still from the film Rung den (Black forest).

Me Thao - Thoi vang bong (Me Thao - Once upon a time), Mua len trau (Buffalo boy), Ba mua (Three seasons), Rung den (Black forest) and Chuyen cua Pao (Pao’s story) were shown in a 400-seat auditorium at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.

The 1999 film Ba mua, starring Harvey Keitel, was the first Vietnamese-American production made in Vietnam to achieve international recognition thanks to its success at the Golden Satellite Awards, the Portland International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.

Mua len trau also won several international awards, including the Golden Unicorn Grand Prix at the Amiens International Film Festival 2004 in France and the Silver Hugo Award for New Directors at the 40th Chicago Film Festival in the US in 2004.

Me Thao – Thoi vang bong, which honors a thousand years of ca tru (classical chamber music), scored a top prize at the 21st Bergamo Film Festival in Italy, while Chuyen cua Pao was named Vietnam’s Best Feature Film at the Golden Kite Awards – Vietnam’s premier film awards – in 2006.

Much of Vietnam’s history and culture was also on display during Good Morning Vietnam, which concluded Thursday.

Among the highlights were relics of the Dong Son and Sa Huynh civilizations dating back 3,000-4,000 years, and a collection of traditional ao dai from fashion designer Lan Huong.

VietNamNet/Thanh Nien