Deputy Director General of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Le Duy Truyen on June 6 welcomed a visiting film crew from the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (CICAI) led by famous director Isabel Santos Tellez.

The Deputy Director General highly valued the Vietnam–Cuba traditional cooperation, friendship and solidarity since the two countries established diplomatic ties over 40 years ago. He also thanked the Cuban people for their precious assistance and sentiments to Vietnam during the war and its national construction and defence.

The VNA leader briefed the guests on the VNA’s development stages which are contributed to by a contingent of over 2,300 officials and reporters working in 63 domestic bureaus in cities and provinces nationwide and 30 overseas bureaus.

Isabel Santos Tellez said her crew will stay in Vietnam for a month to shoot a documentary film entitled “Eyes of Santiago” which recounts the Vietnam–Cuba friendship and the late President Ho Chi Minh in the eyes of people from the Caribbean island nation.

She also noted with pleasure her visit to Uncle Ho’s native country and congratulated the Vietnamese people on harvesting socio-economic achievements during the renewal process.

Cameraman Ivan Napoles, who has filmed 8 documentary accounts of the anti-US resistance war in Vietnam, expressed his feelings upon returning to the country after nearly 40 years.

Works like “Hanoi, Tuesday 13th ”, “79 springs” and “April in Vietnam in the Year of the Cat” are among his well-known films about the late President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam directed by Santiago Alvarez.

The crew also toured the VNA’s Department of Press Photography to seek more materials on the two countries’ friendship, especially photographs in tribute to the former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and President Ho Chi Minh.-VNA