Nikkei Asia Prizes 1999

Dang Nhat Minh

Filmmaker gives voice to common folk Dang Nhat Minh Known For Artistry, Keen Social Observation

BY TAKESHI KANEYOSHI
staff writer

For Dang Nhat Minh's filmmaking, the starting point is to capture the lives of ordinary people. Many of the works revolve around a wartime tragedy or love story, bringing into sharp focus the contradictions and problems in society from the perspective of the poor and underprivileged.

The movies by Minh, a Vietnamese, do not espouse the propaganda often found in the art of socialist countries. Rather, they display a warmth for ordinary people and an awareness and understanding of their problems. His films enjoy an international reputation for high artistic quality and keen social observation.

Minh was born in 1938 in the old capital of Hue, in central Vietnam. He does not come from a line of artists. His father was a doctor; his mother had farming origins.

Minh began making documentaries around 1965, during the Vietnam War, and expanded his vision to dramas in 1975. He is a self-taught filmmaker who learned "by reading books and listening to other filmmakers."

In 1985, Minh traveled to France to study and viewed many of the world's cinematic masterpieces. Rooted in the traditions and cultures of each nation, the films "gave me food for thought about my future in filmmaking, making me rethink the characteristics and traditions of Vietnam," he said. Among the works that impressed him were those by Japan's Yasujiro Ozu.

Many of Minh's films take place in farming villages. "How I Long for October" (1984) tells about the lives of farmers, centering on a woman who cannot tell her father-in-law about the death of her husband in the war or the primary-school teacher who loves her. "Eighty percent of the people in Vietnam live in rural areas. The culture of Vietnam was born there," he said.

"The Girl on the River" (1987) is the story of a war hero who becomes a postwar success and then snubs a woman who had helped him during the conflict. The woman embodies ordinary folk, and through her Minh warns that the heroes of the revolution and war are not always as noble as they might appear.

Although the Vietnamese government officially follows an open, reformist policy, not all officials are happy about Minh's films. But the filmmaker is undaunted, saying, "I'm sure the ordinary people are with me."

His best-known film, "Nostalgia for Countryland," made in 1995, also revolves around a farming village, depicting the hard life of a sensitive 17-year-old boy. "As a result of reform policies, the economic gap between the cities and the villages has widened. Those who bear the brunt of this disparity, women in particular, live in the villages," he said.

The following year, Minh released "Hanoi, Winter 1946," the personal tale of Ho Chi Minh.

Much of the footage was shot with very old cameras and equipment, including dim lighting fixtures from the former Soviet Union. And because in most cases he couldn't afford retakes, expedient use of film was necessary. However, those elements are not apparent in the films, which flow like a gentle river.

In the city, Minh often greets people with a friendly smile. Riding in a "cyclo," a three-wheeled bicycle, Minh asks the young driver where he's from and what's happening in the countryside. His gentle manner seems to convey peace to those with whom he comes in contact.

Since the start of the doi moi reform policies, the Vietnamese have been exposed to many foreign videos, making art films less popular. Minh, who is general secretary of the some 400-member Vietnam Cinema Association, aims to improve the nation's industry. Regarding young people in filmmaking, he said: "I understand their enthusiasm, but I want them to see more foreign films. To do that, they should study foreign languages."

Minh and his wife, a former professional pianist, have a son and a daughter. He sometimes seeks their opinions about scripts, saying, "My children are good advisers."

He is now shooting a documentary about Hue, his hometown. "Asian culture is diverse and rich, like flowers of many colors," Minh said. "By blooming in its own color, Vietnam can make the Asian flower bed even more beautiful."