Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce, 60, is in Viet Nam to chair the jury board of the first Viet Nam International Film Festival. He sat down with Culture Vulture on the sidelines of the event.
You came to Viet Nam to film The Quiet American. Now you return as chairman of the jury board of the first Viet Nam International Film Festival. How does that feel?
A decade has passed by since I came to Viet Nam to make The Quiet American. For me, it's a wonderful experience and honour to be here once again. Meeting old friends like director Dang Nhat Minh and actress Do Hai Yen who enthusiastically helped me to produce the film is a privilege, a big present.
During my days in Ha Noi, I will have a chance to get acquainted with other directors and filmmakers to share ideas, exchange experiences and confirm our common passion for the Seventh Art which has the power of a bridge and helps overcome barriers of language and culture. It connects people through the charm of the silver screen.
Viet Nam has two films in the Best Feature Film category, and many new entries which are arranged in Viet Nam Premier Showcase and Viet Nam Cinema Today. Have you been patient enough to watch all of the Vietnamese films screening at the festival?
The jury's screening schedule for official competition is full now, but I promise that I will try to watch Vietnamese films until I collapse.
I'm looking forward to enjoying new Vietnamese films made in 2010, films competing in international film festivals, and current impressive films on at Vietnamese cinemas. Seeing these films will help me realise the changes and development in the Vietnamese movie industry.
I have tried kept a close eye on your cinema over the last decade. I would like to help develop your cinema but have few chances to see it. The only Vietnamese film I've seen is Pao's Story. The other film being promoted in Australia that I saw was Inferno, directed by Vietnamese-born Victor Vu.
I live and work in Australia and the US, where I have only a few opportunities to see Vietnamese films. That's the reason I'm present at this festival. There was a big gap between the movie and audiences when I directed The Quiet American. Now, there are now more and more young directors, and larger audiences, who buy the tickets.
As chairman of the jury board, what can you tell us about the criteria for selecting the best films?
Films geared towards social issues and people will be promising candidates for the top prize. The jury board also highly appreciates films with new, interesting, creative and amazing angles. The members of the jury met each other for the first time at the festival, but it's expected that we will have the same feeling and idea to grant prizes for worthy entries.
I want to tell a story about when I joined the jury at the Sydney International Film Festival in 1994. I remember that among thousands of films presented, there were hundreds nominated, and due to the large amount of films, I paid attention to films made by famous directors. However, I was surprised by Dang Nhat Minh, a Vietnamese director who wasn't famous at the time. His film Tro Ve (The Return) impressed me.
Film festivals are opportunities to discover new talents. I hope that I will find other directors like Minh at this festival.
Southeast Asian cinema is being showcased at this festival. What do you think about the focus on regional films?
It is very interesting to see films and gain a deeper knowledge of movie industries in Southeast Asia. I want to learn about the region's culture, which is expressed by the region's filmmakers, through the film festival.
The movie industries of different nations have different visions of the world. We may ask how the films are made, what the filmmakers' interests are. I think there will be films which reveal their own culture and country's historical stories, although sometimes it isn't easy to understand their messages. But the film's values come from the inside – how do you feel after watching it?
When the festival ends, do you have any other plans in Viet Nam?
I will stay in Ha Noi for two days after the festival to join lectures and seminars with young filmmakers. Then I have another two days working in HCM City. At the seminars, I will share my experience in making films such as Salt and The Quiet American. I'm ready for questions relating to these films. Through the meetings, I expect that I will do something to help Vietnamese filmmakers connect with foreign film industries. I also want to exchange and talk with the younger generation who have a passion for films and willingness to devote themselves to the film industry. Young filmmakers are a very important force for the future of the nation's cinema. — VNS