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Tune in: Professor Artha Nantachukra with the cover of an episode in the Ho Chi Minh documentary series he presented to VTV4. — VNS Photo Le Huong |
HA NOI — Thai scholar Artha Nantachukra, who has directed a documentary series on President Ho Chi Minh, presented the series to Viet Nam Television's VTV4 channel here yesterday.
Titled Spirit of Viet Nam, the series consists of 15 episodes, each lasting for 15 minutes. They cover the time Nguyen Ai Quoc (an alias of President Ho Chi Minh) lived and worked in Thailand (1928-29) and presents Vietnamese communities in various localities in Thailand, such as Ubon Rachathani, Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.
The series, which took two years to make, was backed with financial support from the Vietnamese community in Thailand.
"Actually, I had the idea of making such a documentary for more than 10 years, when I did research for my PhD in Ha Noi," Nantachukra said, "I received lots of support and encouragement from my acquaintances in Viet Nam and Vietnamese communities throughout Thailand."
Bach Ngoc Chien, head of channel VTV4, which caters to the international audience, told Viet Nam News it was the third documentary work on President Ho Chi Minh the station had received from Thai scholars.
Chien said that the scholars had lured the audience in with their deep love and respect for President Ho Chi Minh.
"I think this is the most attractive feature of the documentaries," he added.
Chien said the channel would broadcast the series in June, on the 100th anniversary of the day Nguyen Ai Quoc left Viet Nam to go abroad to seek a way to liberate Vietnamese people from colonialism.
Other VTV channels will broadcast the series later this year. Thailand's Channel 9 and Channel 7 will broadcast the programme next month. Lao Television will also receive the series.
Born in 1959 in Ubon Ratchathani, Nantachukra is now working as deputy head of the History Department of Mahasarakham University in Maha Sarakham Province.
He did research on Thai ethnic groups in Viet Nam's north-eastern region for his doctorate thesis at Ha Noi National University between 1995 and 1999.
He also initiated the building of a Thailand-Viet Nam friendship village at Nachok Village in Thailand's Nakhon Phanom Province, where President Ho Chi Minh lived most of the time he worked in that country. — VNS