Danish Film Week in Vietnam

A special Danish Film Week is currently taking place in Vietnam as part of the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam. A selection of remarkable Danish films have been especially chosen to screen in Vietnam, including the Jørgen Leth classic, 'Five Obstructions'. Leth has been invited to open the film week and participate in the festival, giving a Q&A and a couple of masterclasses.

The Vietnamese TV channel, VTC International, made this reportage from the Danish Film Week:

Jørgen Leth:

'It has been an interesting experience to meet film audiences in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and Hanoi. I had been invited to introduce a Danish Film Week here as part of the celebration of 40 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Denmark and in connection with Crown Prince Frederik's official visit. Wednesday evening I attended Niels Lan Doky's Concert at the Opera House in Saigon. He played first with his Danish trio, and later with Vietnamese musicians. After the concert the delegation went to a badminton event featuring Peter Gade against a Vietnamese top player and, in a show match, former Olympic champion Poul Erik Højer against another popular local player. Peter Gade played brilliantly and won a very intense match in three closely contested sets.

Thursday evening was the opening of the Danish Film Week. I did a short speech about Danish film hisotry before introducing 'The Five Obstructions', followed by a lively Q&A. Friday evening repetition of the same program for a full house at Hanoi Cinemateque. Again many good questions after the film. I enjoyed it. And then Sunday the first of two masterclasses. This one with Hanoi Doc Lab students. They listened eagerly when I explained my ideas and methods.

Sunday evening I had a superb Vietnamese dinner at the old hotel Metropole with my old friend Jean Claude Dicquemare, owner of Hotel Cormier Plage where I now live on the north coast of Haiti. He has accompanied me on this long voyage; he was the son of the last French genereal governor and lived in Vietnam all his childhood.

The second masterclass will be Tuesday with another group of Vietnamese documentary filmmakers. And then Wednesday after some shopping and lunch with the Danish ambassador John Nielsen, a late evening departure with Vietnam Airlines to Paris and then to Miami with American Airlines . And next morning to Cap-Haitien.'

For more about the Danish Film Week and for the full film programme, please visit the Danish Film Institute or the Danish Embassy in Vietnam.