As part of the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival – DANAFF III, 22 carefully selected war-themed Vietnamese films produced after 1975 will be screened free of charge at various cinema venues throughout Da Nang.
From June 29 to July 5, 2025, DANAFF III will officially take place in the coastal city of Da Nang, bringing together Vietnamese and international filmmakers, along with a wide audience of cinema lovers.
This year, DANAFF III will be particularly distinguished by a special showcase entitled A Half-Century of Vietnamese War Films, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification.
As part of this program, 22 carefully selected war-themed Vietnamese films produced after 1975 will be screened free of charge at major cinema venues across Da Nang.
In addition, audiences will have the opportunity to attend interactive sessions and discussions with renowned artists and filmmakers who have been closely associated with revolutionary war cinema.
A key highlight of DANAFF III will be the special seminar titled “The Legacy of Vietnamese War Films Since National Reunification.”
This event promises to offer a comprehensive perspective on the achievements, values, and standing of the war film genre throughout the evolution of Vietnamese cinema, as well as its role in promoting the nation’s image internationally.
The historic Spring Victory of 1975 not only ushered in an era of peace, but also marked a turning point in the artistic perception of war as a cinematic subject. While during wartime, documentary films played a central role in propaganda and boosting morale, narrative feature films gradually took center stage in the years following reunification.
With the passage of time, filmmakers began to gain the necessary temporal distance to reflect more deeply on the war — on the cost of independence and freedom, and on the quiet sacrifices made along the way.
Thanks to this space for reflection, post-1975 Vietnamese war cinema evolved beyond pure heroic storytelling. Filmmakers began to explore the tragic dimensions of war, the fate of ordinary people swept into the tide of history. Beneath the smoke, fire, and gunpowder, these films have come to embody profound humanistic and philosophical values, rooted in Vietnamese notions of patriotism, compassion, and the longing for peace.
The curated list of 22 films in the DANAFF III special program “A Half-Century of Vietnamese War Films” includes iconic works such as The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone (1979), When the Mother’s Away (1980), The Legend of a Mother (1987), Severe Childhood (1989), The Scent of Burning Grass (2011), and The Legend of Quan Tien (2019)…
Each film offers a vivid, authentic portrayal of human lives during wartime, capturing their pain, resilience, and hope for a better tomorrow.
Beyond film screenings, DANAFF III also creates a space for meaningful connection between the past and the present. Audiences will have the chance to hear behind-the-scenes stories and emotionally rich professional experiences from directors and actors who have long been dedicated to the war film genre over the decades.
Detailed information on screening schedules and accompanying events will be widely shared by the DANAFF III Organizing Committee through various media channels, particularly via the Festival’s official Facebook fanpage and TikTok account, starting from June 2025.
The program A Half-Century of Vietnamese War Films at DANAFF III is not only a tribute to historically significant cinematic works, but also an opportunity for current and future generations to gain a deeper appreciation of the timeless values that Vietnamese cinema has preserved and carried forward for the past fifty years.
