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In a class of its own: A scene from the movie The Class, which will open the Francophone Film Festival in Ha Noi tonight. |
HA NOI — A Francophone Film Festival will kick off tonight in Ha Noi as part of a national celebration of International Francophone Day in Viet Nam.
The event is jointly organised by France, Canada, Romania, Switzerland, the Wallonia-Brussels region in Belgium and the International Francophone Organisation including a series of the French-language film screenings, cinema training course, concert, quiz and a Francophone day in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.
An official ceremony will take place on March 19 to celebrate the 40th International Francophone Day at the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi. It will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem with representatives from relevant agencies.
The ceremony will be followed by a talk by musicologist Tran Van Khe and performances of ca tru (ceremonial singing) and quan ho (love duets) which were recognised as world intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
The film festival will be a highlight of the event; it will feature 13 movies from seven countries and the International Francophone Organisation.
The Cannes 2008 French-produced winner The Class, will open the festival tonight at L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi.
The movie is a dramatisation of a book recording the experiences of a teacher in an inner-city Parisian school. It also won the best adapted script award at the Cesar 2009 film awards.
Others films to be screened include Seducing Doctor Lewis; Stuff and Dough; My Name Is Eugene; Don't Burn; Pom Pony and Colour of Coffee.
The festival will open at the French cultural centres in HCM City on March 13 and Hue on March 15. All the screenings will have Vietnamese subtitles and free entry.
A cinema training course will be held from March 17-19 at Viet Nam Film Institute, 523 Kim Ma Street, Ha Noi. Some 30 film makers from Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand will listen to lecturers from France and African countries. They will discuss and share experiences, film production and funding.
The International Francophone Organisation's Asia-Pacific regional office will co-operate with Can Tho University to hold a Francophone day on March 20-21. Pupils, students and 24 teachers from high schools, primary schools and colleges of Can Tho and HCM City will attend the day.
The best Vietnamese French language teacher will be announced at an official ceremony at the Temple of Literature next Friday. The prize was established in 2008 by embassies and the International Francophone Organisation. — VNS