“Don’t Cry, Butterfly”: Capturing Hearts and Launching Vietnamese Film Days in the US

“Don’t Cry, Butterfly” Poster (Photo: VNA)

Washington, D.C. – “Mua tren canh buom” or Don’t Cry, Butterfly, directed by Duong Dieu Linh, captivated a distinguished audience at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. The screening on March 5 marked the opening of the Vietnamese Film Days in the US.

The event was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the MPA, and the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA) to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. It drew senior officials from the US State Department, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Commerce, as well as senators, representatives from the Lower House, major Hollywood studios, the diplomatic corps, socio-political organizations, and the business community.

In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, Nguyen Quoc Dung, reflected on the journey of Vietnam-US relations over the past three decades. He highlighted the blossoming cultural ties and people-to-people exchanges that have brought the two nations closer together. The ambassador praised the Vietnamese Film Days as a bold step toward introducing Vietnamese cinema to the world.

VFDA President Ngo Phuong Lan affirmed that Vietnam recognizes the film industry’s importance in its creative economy. She cited key policies like the new Cinema Law 2023 as evidence of this support. Lan highlighted the growing global presence of Vietnamese cinema, including the success of Mua tren canh buom, which received accolades at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival and won the MPA’s Best Screenplay award in 2019.

The VFDA president expressed her hope for more Vietnamese films to reach US theaters and invited American filmmakers and audiences to the Da Nang Asian Film Festival in June 2025.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, Nguyen Quoc Dung, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Ngo Phuong Lan shared her emotions and hopes after the screening: “Seeing this film embraced in the heart of the MPA filled me with emotion and hope. It’s a glimpse of the promising future awaiting Vietnamese cinema.”

MPA Chairman Charles Rivkin echoed these sentiments, revealing that major studios are increasingly interested in the Vietnamese market.

Following the screening, Director Duong Dieu Linh engaged in a discussion with the audience, joined by Melissa Bisagni, Director of the Asia-Pacific-America Film Festival in Washington, D.C.

As part of the Vietnamese Film Days in the US, the Vietnamese Embassy, in collaboration with the MPA and VFDA, hosted a panel discussion on policies attracting foreign film producers to Vietnam. Industry giants like Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and Disney participated. The VFDA presented a range of incentives designed to make Vietnam a filmmaking haven, highlighting untapped opportunities for collaboration. The MPA’s industry partners expressed strong interest in expanding their projects in Vietnam.