The 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) will return from June 29 to July 5, 2025, gathering Vietnamese and international filmmakers and movie lovers in Da Nang city.
Organized during the 50th anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam and national reunification, this year's festival spotlights the theme "Half a century of Vietnamese war films."
As part of the main program, the seminar "The legacy of Vietnam’s war films since national reunification" will offer a comprehensive look at the achievements, cultural value, and global impact of Vietnamese war-themed cinema.

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Scene from the film "First Love" (1980).

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Scene from the film "Liberating Saigon" (2005).

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People’s Artist Quoc Khanh and Truong Ngoc Anh in "The White Silk Dress" (2006).

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La Thanh Huyen in "The Returned" (2015).

The Spring 1975 Victory ended the American imperialist invasion and ushered in a new era of peace for Vietnam. Notably, revolutionary war themes in post-reunification films have evolved significantly from those created during wartime.

While wartime documentaries once led the cinematic narrative, post-war feature films have taken center stage. Filmmakers, given the benefit of time, have been able to reflect deeply on the heroism, national pride, and immense sacrifices of the Vietnamese people. These themes are portrayed through stories of the early post-war years, revealing physical and emotional scars left by the conflict.

Even films depicting the war directly have moved beyond depictions of bombs and battles to explore profound Vietnamese philosophical and moral reflections beneath the surface of heroic struggles and losses.

Through the selection of war-themed films at DANAFF III, Vietnamese and international guests, filmmakers, and audiences will experience the evolving perspectives and creative approaches of Vietnamese filmmakers.

During wartime, filmmakers focused on direct depictions of the battlefield, producing valuable works that primarily served to inspire and rally the spirit of the people. Post-reunification, however, filmmakers have taken a more introspective approach, creating films that portray the tragedies of war, the struggles of ordinary people, and philosophical reflections on Vietnam’s humanistic spirit.

The 22 films in the "Half a century of Vietnamese war films" program will be screened for free during the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (June 29 - July 5, 2025) across cinema complexes in Da Nang. Audiences will also have the chance to engage with renowned artists and hear fascinating behind-the-scenes stories.

Detailed screening schedules and program information will be widely announced via official festival channels, including the Da Nang Asian Film Festival’s Facebook Fanpage and TikTok page in June 2025.

22 feature films in the “Half a century of Vietnamese war films” program:

The wild field (1979)
Mother’s absence (1980)
First love (1980)
Towards the sandy wind (1983)
Legend of the mother (1987)
Fairy tale for seventeen (1988)
Fierce childhood (1991)
The blade (1995)
Dong Loc T-junction (1997)
The apartment (1999)
Heading South and North (2000)
The sleepwalking woman (2001)
Dance of the stork (2002)
Hanoi 12 days and nights (2002)
Liberating Saigon (2005)
Living in fear (2006)
The white silk dress (2006)
Life (2007)
Scent of burnt grass (2011)
The legendary writers (2013)
The returned (2015)
Legend of Quan Tien (2019)

Quynh An
Photos: Organizing Committee