A scene from 'Hoa tao no'. The film is the first Vietnamese-Hungarian co-production and the first to be screened in Hungarian theatres with Vietnamese subtitles. (Photos courtesy of National Film Institute Hungary) Hoa Tao no (AppleBlossom, or Az Almafa Virága inHungarian) shows the perspective of Vietnamese students and young people fromboth countries.
The film centres around Song Ha, a young Vietnamese woman who moves to Budapestwith a special mission – finding more about her family history. When she looks intopast events, she has a romantic connection with Viktor, a Hungarian guy.
According to Káel Csaba, the Government Commissioner responsible for developingthe Hungarian national film industry, this is the first collaboration featurefilm between Vietnam and Hungary, which will help to improve understanding andbring the two countries' cultures closer together.
Given that it was released on the 50th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accordsthat ended the war and restored peace in Vietnam, Káel said the film hasspecial resonance as it takes viewers back to the heyday of relations betweenthe two countries in the 1970s.
He continued by saying that this shows how Vietnam is depicted in the modernera and how quickly it transforms.
Nguyen Thi Bich Thao, Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary, praised the film crew'sdedication, as well as the active support of relevant agencies in Vietnam andHungary such as the Hungarian-Vietnamese Friendship Association, generations ofstudents studying abroad in Hungary, and the Vietnamese community in Hungary,in completing the film Hoa Tao no.
The Ambassador underlined that Vietnam and Hungary have a longhistory of friendship and diversified collaboration, which has been upgraded toa comprehensive partnership in the last five years, with culture ad educationbeing the most important field of cooperation.
Thao extended her best wishes to the cast, crew, and producers of Hoa Tao no, saying she hopes the film'srelease would open the door for future cultural and artistic exchanges andcooperation between the two countries to forge a lasting friendship betweentheir respective populations.
She also said she hoped the film would inspire Hungarians to learn more aboutand develop an appreciation for Vietnam, a country that has thrived since thewar's end.
As the first Vietnamese-Hungarian co-production and the firstVietnamese-subtitled film to be shown in Hungarian theatres, Hoa Tao no is a highlight in thegrowing cultural and artistic cooperation between the two countries in recentyears.
Hoa Tao no officially premiered on February 15 at the Urania NationalFilm Theatre./.
VNA
