~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Communist Vietnam's film directors off to Hollywood

HANOI - Communist Vietnam is sending 13 of its best film directors to Hollywood to pick up some lessons in the world movie-making capital as the government promotes more commercial productions. The directors, many of whom trained in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe, will take a one-month cinematography course at the University of Southern California and attend film-making sessions at Hollywood studios, media reported on Wednesday. "We will learn a basketful of wisdom," said Luu Trong Ninh, a director with the state-run Vietnam Motion Picture Co, quoting a Vietnamese proverb.

All of the directors work at state movie studios and are accustomed to churning out propaganda fare. The delegation, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation, will be led by a top official from the government's censorship agency. Vietnam strictly controls and monitors media and information and requires all movies shown in the country to be reviewed.

But, bowing to changing popular taste and facing dwindling state funds, the government has recently removed restrictions on private film making. The domestic hits "Bar Girls" and "Street Cinderella," featuring racy scenes and depictions of corruption, generated significant box office returns of about $500,000 each last year.

Reuters - June 16, 2004.