Born into a cinematic family, Vu was steered toward the profession in childhood. His parents worked at the Central Scientific Documentary Film Studio, and were devoted to filmmaking since the days they were in VietBac resistance zone.

His maternal hometown, Lai Xa village in Hoai Duc, Hanoi, was renowned for its traditional photography. Therefore, pursuing photography and cinematography was natural for him. After graduating school with high marks, he was sent to study cinematography at the Potsdam Babelsberg University of Film and Television in Germany.

Returning to Vietnam, Vu chose documentary filmmaking, working as a cinematographer for 15 years, earning two individual cinematography awards and two best cinematography awards at the Vietnam Film Festival.

A major turning point came when he decided to become a film director in midlife. “Switching to directing wasn’t easy. I tried writing scripts for years but failed,” he admitted.

“My German teacher said, ‘Everything must be learned.’ So, I enrolled in the University of Theater and Cinema, studying part-time directing for four years,” he said.

Balancing work, family, and studies, he embraced being a “student” again after years as a professional. This marked a new chapter in his life as a documentary and scientific film director.

His midlife return to learning yielded worthy results. With deep directing knowledge and cinematography experience, People's Artist Nguyen Nhu Vu has excelled in his new role.

His film ‘The Fire Keeper’ about Teacher Thin, a leprosy patient dedicated to education, showed his directing talent. 

“I discovered a very touching scene -  the teacher's gnarled hand because of leprosy above the Labor Hero medal. The teacher held and touched the medal, even turning it over to the reverse side. That scene was extremely meaningful, leaving a strong emotion for the viewer,” he said.

After starting from the beginning, his works won major awards. His ‘Dat Trang’ (White Land) on desertification won Silver Kite, ‘Nuoi tom hum long tren bien’ (Cage Lobster Farming at Sea won the Silver Lotus, and ‘Dong dat song than – tham hoa khon luong’ (Earthquake and Tsunami: Unpredictable Disaster) won the Golden Kite. He also received the 6th State Award for Literature and Arts.

After retiring, five of his scripts were approved for production over five years. Beyond personal achievements, he inspires young learners. As a lecturer at Hanoi’s University of Theater and Cinema, he emphasizes passion and dedication to the craft.

“Filmmaking is truly arduous. Young people see beautiful scenes on screen, but behind them lies immense effort,” he said.

Tinh Le