Film to Mark Vietnam-Japan Ties

Vietnam Television (VTV) and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) will jointly shoot a film in June and July this year as a gift to Vietnamese and Japanese audience on the occasion of the 40 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The information was unveiled at a satellite-supported live video press briefing linking two points in Vietnam and Japan on May 13.

Vietnam’s natural beauty spots such as the capital city of Hanoi, the Hue ancient capital, Hoi An ancient city and the world natural heritage Ha Long Bay together with many landscapes in Japan will appear in the film as part of an effort to promote the two countries’ images.

The 120-minute film will see the participation of famous actors and actresses from the two countries under consultation of historical and literary experts. It will be co-directed by meritorious artist Pham Thanh Phong of Vietnam and Japan’s Tsuyoshi Katayam.

The film, Người cộng sự (Fellow-worker), is a love story between Japanese businessman Tetsuya Higashiyama Noriyuki and Vietnamese girl Hong Lien. When the couple are about to get married, Tetsuya is trapped into business difficulty. This prompts him to embark on a journey to seek an answer to the real love towards the Vietnamese – who will share with him a long-term relationship. During the journey, he gets to know a special story on the fraternity between the renowned Vietnamese revolutionary Phan Boi Chau and Japanese doctor Asaba Sakitaro. This friendship, which dates back 100 years, helps Tetsuya find an answer. The film ends with the couple marrying on a beach in an atmosphere full of Vietnamese and Japanese traditional cultural values.

The film will air at the same time in both Vietnam and Japan this September, promising to tighten solidarity and friendship between the two peoples.