Priceless footage
(Baonghean)Immediately after President Ho Chi Minh signed the Decree establishing the Vietnamese Revolutionary Film Industry in the Viet Bac war zone (March 15, 1953), the first filmmakers discussed recreating the scene of National Day on September 2nd for inclusion in a film, as there were very few images of Independence Day on September 2nd, 1945. Director Pham Van Khoa, then Director of the National Film Department, said: “After the victory in Hanoi, we will recreate the scene of Independence Day. I myself participated in building the ceremonial platform, so I remember that day vividly. We will invite President Ho Chi Minh to read the Declaration of Independence to record it for the film!”
But that wish remained unfulfilled. After the resistance against French colonialism ended, Hanoi was liberated with countless tasks to attend to, and then the whole country embarked on another resistance war against the American imperialist invasion. It wasn't until 1974 that a documentary film crew, including screenwriter Hong Ha, director Pham Ky Nam, and cinematographer Nhu Ai, was sent to France and England to make the film "Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh." Director Pham Ky Nam recounts the following story:
“One morning, someone contacted me by phone, their voice warm: ‘There’s a friend of Vietnam who has always cherished the Vietnamese people and wants to meet you to give you a small gift.’” "I hope this gift will be useful for your work!" I went straight to the meeting place. The host greeted me warmly and opened a cupboard to take out a small, time-worn film roll. I asked his permission, gently opened the lid with a knife, peeled off the moisture-proof paper, and found a small roll of film. I carefully pulled out each segment of film, held it up to the window, and was overwhelmed with emotion by the images that appeared: Ba Dinh Square, the crowds rallying, the solemn September 2nd ceremony platform. Overjoyed, I hugged the film roll to my chest and only managed to thank the host, forgetting to ask about the film's origin. Back at work, I immediately loaded the film into the editing machine, feeling both happy and worried that the film might "age." Although it was several decades old, due to the dry climate in France, the film was still bright and beautiful. The scene of the ceremony platform, the image of Uncle Ho, the enthusiastic crowds chanting "Long live Independence Day! Long live President Ho Chi Minh!"… The entire film segment was only a few minutes long, but it was truly moving.
Upon returning to Vietnam, using various cinematic techniques, directors Pham Ky Nam and Le Manh Thich enhanced and reinforced those few historical images, making them more vivid and coherent. Against the backdrop of these invaluable historical images, the directors added a few scenes, then added the music of Nguyen Dinh Thi's "Destroy Fascism," along with commentary and the national oath, resulting in the complete 6-minute film "Independence Day, September 2, 1945." The two directors recreated the vibrant and enthusiastic atmosphere of September 2nd, with President Ho Chi Minh's resounding voice declaring before millions of Vietnamese people and the world: "From now on, Vietnam has the right and deserves to enjoy freedom and independence!" Both films, "Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh" and "Independence Day, September 2, 1945," were completed in May 1975 amidst the joyful atmosphere of the complete liberation of our country.
Since then, on National Day each year, documentary footage titled "Independence Day, September 2nd, 1945" has appeared frequently on various media outlets. The only remaining question was, who was the author of that footage? Director Pham Ky Nam had the opportunity to ask the homeowner, who calmly replied that he couldn't say anything more because he wasn't the one who filmed it: "I only know that the footage is useful to you and has been sent to the correct address, so I'm reassured!"
Therefore, the author of the rare and invaluable documents in the film "Independence Day, September 2, 1945" remains an unidentified question to this day.
Le Lan (47, Dang Thuc Hua Street, Vinh)
