300 badly damaged films at Vietnam Feature Film Studio, Cinema Department: Cannot be restored

At the regular press conference of the first quarter of 2024 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST), the issue of Vietnam Feature Film Studio continued to be discussed.

Mr. Vi Kien Thanh, Director of the Department of Cinema, informed about the problem at Vietnam Feature Film Studio.

Regarding the divestment of Vietnam Feature Film Studio, Director of the Cinema Department Vi Kien Thanh affirmed that the Government Inspectorate is working on it. The divestment process has encountered many complicated and difficult problems, so the matter will be implemented according to the conclusion of the Government Inspectorate.

At the press conference, Mr. Vi Kien Thanh also expressed his opinion about the 300 films that were severely damaged at the Vietnam Feature Film Studio, which has caused many artists to be upset recently. Mr. Thanh said that the Vietnam Feature Film Studio previously produced and exploited films and kept one copy, but those copies were damaged, while the original copies of the 300 films were stored at the Vietnam Film Institute.

Regarding the possibility of restoring 300 severely damaged films, the Director of the Cinema Department affirmed that it is impossible: "Artists of the Vietnam Feature Film Studio have repeatedly proposed restoring 300 damaged films, I replied that it is impossible to restore them because they are moldy and damaged. We should not consider this either, because the original copies of the films are still preserved at the Vietnam Film Institute, what is the point of restoring them because it is costly, who can restore them?" , Mr. Vi Kien Thanh replied.

300 films were severely damaged at Vietnam Feature Film Studio.

Regarding the quality of 300 films being stored at the Film Institute, Mr. Vi Kien Thanh said that leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have come down to directly inspect and work on the storage work.

Also at the press conference, Ms. Phan Linh Chi - Deputy Director of the Department of Financial Planning, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism provided more information about the issue of storing 300 films at the Vietnam Film Institute.

The Deputy Director of the Department of Financial Planning, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: "The collective artists of the film studio signed a petition and sent it to the Government Office regarding the issue of 300 damaged films. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism received the petition and forwarded it to the Ministry Inspectorate for processing according to the correct procedure.

On April 6, 2023, the Ministry's leaders assigned Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong, together with the Ministry Inspectorate, the Department of Financial Planning, the Department of Cinema, and representatives of the Film Studio, to go directly to the Film Institute for inspection. On January 4, 2024, the Ministry Inspectorate sent an official dispatch in response to the artist.

Ms. Chi affirmed that the document has completely resolved and answered the artists' concerns. The document also affirmed that these films have complete originals and related documents, and have been and are being scientifically stored and preserved under international standard conditions.

Regarding the equitization progress of enterprises of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a representative of the Department of Planning and Finance affirmed that the equitization process had ended in 2015.

Le Chi

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