French ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery presents the Order of the Arts and the Letters to film director Dang Nhat Minh on March 31. Photo: Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, chairman of the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese

Vietnamese director Dang Nhat Minh has been awarded the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) for his contribution to the arts in France as well as the world, reported VOV.

The award ceremony took place on March 31.

Minh is perhaps the most famous Vietnamese artist to take the global stage since the country’s reunification in 1975.

He is also the first Vietnamese director to receive a retrospective program at the international film festival for his filmography, which includes When The Tenth Month Comes (1984); The Return (1994); Season of Guavas (2000) and Don’t Burn (2009).

French ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery, on behalf of the French Ministry of Culture, conferred the Rank of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters on the film director at a ceremony held in Hanoi.

Warnery reviewed the milestones in the career of the veteran director who was born in Hue considered the cradle of culture.

He spoke of Minh’s major humanistic works premiered in France, as well as collaborative films directed by him such as Guava Season that connects the two cultures.

He revealed that Minh has been restoring two of his popular films produced in the 1980s in collaboration with French and Italian colleagues.

If the project is successful, this will be great pleasure, and international film festivals will certainly eye these works, said the diplomat.

French ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery presents the Order of the Arts and the Letters to film director Dang Nhat Minh on March 31. Photo: dantri.com.vn

For his part, Minh said it’s a great honour for him to receive the award, and that he loves France where he has many good memories and many friends.

“In 1986, I received a scholarship for an internship course in France to improve my skills….. After that, I went back to France many times to screen movies, and attend film festivals... I love France,” said the People’s Artist.

Dang Nhat Minh is one of Vietnam’s leading film makers. Many of his works have won prizes locally and internationally. His feature film “When the Tenth Months Comes” was voted by world news agencies as one of the best Asian films.

He was personally conferred the title of People’s Artist by the State of Vietnam, along with the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts.

He was recently honored by the International Film Festival in the Republic of Korea with a lifetime achievements award.

Minh also was one of three global filmmakers to be honoured at the 36th Amiens International Film Festival (FIFAM), took place in 2016 in Amiens, France.

Established in 1957, l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is aimed at the recognition of artists and writers who have made significant contributions to the fields of art, culture and literature, and contains three grades, starting from Knight, to Officer and then Commander.

The Order of Arts and Letters is given out three times annually under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Culture and Communication.

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