Documentary film on classical drama to be released

A new documentary film on tuong or hat boi (classical theatre) produced by Vietnam Television will be released in Hanoi, Can Tho and HCM City this month as part of the station’s efforts to introduce Vietnamese culture and theatre to audiences.
Documentary film on classical drama to be released ảnh 1Young artists perform at a traditional art theatre (Illustrative photo: sggp.org,vn)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) -A new documentary film on tuong or hat boi (classical theatre) producedby Vietnam Television will be released in Hanoi, Can Tho and HCM City thismonth as part of the station’s efforts to introduce Vietnamese culture andtheatre to audiences. 

The film, Doan Truong Vinh Hoa (Glory Road), features artistsfrom the Phuong Anh Troupe, a private, travelling tuong troupe from Binh Thuy districtin Can Tho city. 

It highlights veteran actress Nguyen Thi Anh, the troupe’s owner, who is thethird generation of her family involved in the classical drama art. 

Anh and her actors travel around the region to offer interactive performances.They visit many villages of Can Tho and neighbouring provinces, including HauGiang, An Giang, Vinh Long and Dong Thap, to offer free training in music,sing and dance to youth to introduce future generations to their art. 

The film’s young director Le My Cuong and his film crew spent several weeksliving and working with actors from the Phuong Anh Troupe duringshooting. They captured beautiful images featuring actors on stage and in dailylife. 

Doan Truong Vinh Hoa provides audiences with the knowledge of tuong, a symbolic form of Vietnamesetheatre that originated in the central region and expanded in southern Vietnam,particularly in Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta provinces. 

Performances about the hopes and dreams of southern people are alsofeatured. 

The film will be released at 7pm at the French Cultural Centre in Hanoi, IDECAFin HCM City, and in cinemas in Can Tho on October 18 and 28, and November 1. 

It will air on VTV1 next month. 

"Our troupe’s performances offer a true and unique style of tuong. Our audiences can also learn to singand dance traditional tunes after each show," said thetroupe’s head Anh.

Anh said her troupe was keen on exposing youth to tuong, whichis part of their heritage that is hundreds of years old.

“Tuong developed from a folk artinto a royal art in the 17th century. Its themes include monarchist loyalty andpatriotism which help define the play’s structure, language, music,struggles and characters' personalities.” 

"I saw the love for hat boi fromthe local people after all of my shows," the 65-year-old said.

Anh began singing on the stage at the age of 10 after learning the art from herparents who were famous in the region during the 1960s. 

She worked for the Phuoc Tan Hat Boi Troupe of Can Tho, playing several leadingroles in famous historical plays. 

In 1980, Anh moved to Dong Thap province and opened her own troupe called Dong Thap-Homelandwhich attracted dozens of skilled artists. Five years later, she closed thetroupe after facing financial difficulties. 

In 2004, she returned to her homeland, Can Tho, and reopened thePhuong Anh Troupe. 

"Anh is one of the region's very few professional performers who have keptthe art original on stage. Thanks to her troupe, tuong willremain alive," said Phan Thu Hoa, a resident of Can Tho city./.
VNA

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