Don’t Burn

Synopsis

The diary of martyr Dang Thuy Tram was kept by Fred – an American veteran in Vietnam war, for 35 years as his pricelessmemento. With selected events and backgroundsof fierce war in the diary along withits strange journey,director, People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minh and his crew havecreated the film to honor the noble sacrifice of the woman doctor Dang Thuy Tram and Vietnamese people for the dream of peace, independence of the homeland as well asto illustrate the awakening of the conscience of American soldiers.

Director’s biography

Director, People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minh born in 1938,is one of the leading directors of Vietnamese cinema. His name is closely associated with the history of Vietnam Feature Film Company. After a number of first works such as Ms. Nhung (co-director, 1973), Sea Stars (1974), A Year-end Rainy Day (1976), People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minh became known and certainlyhas created a style that made for himselfa name resonatedbythefilms about the human fates with his self-written scripts.

Notableworksof this style include When the Tenth Month Comes , The Girl on the River, The Return, Nostalgia for the Countryland, Hanoi Winter 1946, Guava House, Don’t Burn, Jasmine…With his works, People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minh has shaped an unique and individual style of artistic filmmaking, delving into the exploitation of the human fatesin a humane and delicate way.

His personal and works not only resonated in Vietnam but also on the world cinema map through importantawards such as Golden Lotus, Golden Kite in Vietnam and awards from Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival… In 2008, the film When the Tenth Month Comes wasvoted by CNN channel as one of the 18 best Asian films of all time.In 2010, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a ceremony to honorPeople’s Artist Dang Nhat Minhtorecognizehiscontribution to Vietnamese cinema. In 2011, People’s Artist Dang Nhat Minhhonorably received the Kim Dae-jung Peace Film Award presented within the framework of the Gwangju International Film Festival in South Korea.