(VNF) - European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) and the National Studio for Documentary and Science Films invite audiences to immerse themselves in visual worlds of experience from a variety of cultures at the 7th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival.

A stimulating dialogue between European and Vietnamese documentaries will be created by the format of the festival. Each evening a film from Vietnam will be followed by a film from Denmark, Germany, France, Israel, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Spain or Sweden.

The genre of the documentary has in recent years enjoyed ever increasing popularity worldwide. The open and genuine view of the world offers viewers an opportunity to gain an understanding of perse realities and cultures through images.

According to a press release issued by the EU Delegation to Vietnam, the themes of the films reflect discourses in contemporary society and provide a basis for discussion and exchange. This year, two European films (from Israel and Denmark) address the issue of gender and identity, each portraying the lives of two young people outside normative gender boundaries. Several of the Vietnamese contributions have won awards at festivals, and many focus, among other things, on the experiences and the horrors of the war, the end of which recently marked its 40th anniversary.

All entries will be screened from June 10th -19th in Hanoi (National Studio for Documentary and Scientific Film, No 465 Hoang Hoa Tham street, Ba Dinh district), and from June 11th - 20th in Ho Chi Minh city (Hoa Sen University, No 8 Nguyen Van Trang, district 1).

Besides, two workshops will be held in Hanoi with the German filmmaker Arne Birkenstock on script development and in Ho Chi Minh city with the Israeli filmmaker Shirley Berkovitz.

Free tickets will be available at the Goethe-Institute (No 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Ba Dinh district). Date and time to be announced soon./.

VNF