Tu Tien - Lens of immortal moments!
Talking about the late photographer Tu Tien is to remember the historical moments recorded through the news and art photos that have lasted through the years. Until now, the works left by the late photographer Tu Tien are still a part of the great history of national defense and the nation building of the Vietnamese people.
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Minh Thu• December 11, 2024
Talking about the late photographer Tu Tien is to remember the historical moments recorded through the news and art photos that have lasted through the years. Until now, the works left by the late photographer Tu Tien are still a part of the great history of national defense and the nation building of the Vietnamese people.
According to his family, Photographer Tu Tien was born in 1942 in Thailand, originally from Thach Kenh commune, Thach Ha district (Ha Tinh). Around 1940, his father, Tu Hong, a revolutionary cadre who worked offline before the August Revolution in 1945, moved his family to live in a Vietnamese area in Laos. This was an important revolutionary base, so it was closely monitored by the French colonialists. Therefore, Tu Hong decided to move his family to Thailand to both live and continue his revolutionary activities.
Mr. Tu Tien grew up, studied and practiced photography in Thailand. In 1961, responding to Uncle Ho's call for overseas Vietnamese to return home to build and protect the Fatherland, Mr. Tu Hong brought his family back to live in his hometown in Ha Tinh. Coming from a patriotic overseas Vietnamese family in Thailand, with a father who was a revolutionary cadre of the Party, Mr. Tu Tien quickly joined the great resistance war of the nation. Thanks to his photography skills, he was accepted to work by the Department of Culture of Ha Tinh province at that time.
During the years of fighting against the US, after the basic training of journalists at the Central Propaganda School, he was thrown into the fire. During this time, people often saw him wearing the steel helmet of the air defense force, carrying an old EXA.Ia and Zenit camera, rushing to fight on all the key fronts. He was present at the fire lines from Truong Bon, Ben Thuy (Nghe An) to Dong Loc intersection (Ha Tinh), the legendary Truong Son road... recording the moments of the most fierce and fierce anti-US war of our army and people.
With black and white photos, NSNA Tu Tien deeply portrayed revolutionary heroism, at the same time, honored the will and iron determination of the army and people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh in particular, and the army and people of the whole country in general. Many moments that he recorded became lifetime works, typically: Let mother go fight the Americans; Ky Phuong female squad - Heroic Unit; Unit of 10 Dong Loc girls; Hero La Thi Tam on the observation tower "counting each series of falling bombs" at Dong Loc intersection; Protecting Cam Duong sea; Producing while fighting; After duty hours; Brave bomb disposal soldier Vuong Dinh Nho; Artist serving the battlefield... These works not only vividly demonstrate the patriotism and heroic sacrifice of the previous generation, but are also a source of pride and a bright spot in Vietnam's revolutionary photography.
In particular, the work "The Heart of the Vietnamese" taken by NSNA Tu Tien on May 19, 1972, is a photo with profound meaning, full of current events, politics and humanity. At that time, the militia of Thach Trung commune, Thach Ha district (Ha Tinh) coordinated with the 233 anti-aircraft artillery unit to heroically fight back against fierce bombing raids by American aircraft. A jet aircraft nicknamed "Thunder God, Ghost" of the US Air Force was hit by artillery fire and caught fire in the sky. The pilot, Major Obrinicol, was forced to parachute to escape death but was seriously injured in the face.
While militia nurse Tran Thi Sam was bandaging Obrinicol's wound, NSNA Tu Tien managed to capture a special moment: the image of a small Vietnamese girl, with a kind but determined face, taking care of the enemy who had just dropped bombs on her homeland. The American pilot was huge, with his face bowed in pain, as if silently repenting.
The photo quickly spread throughout the country and abroad, becoming a symbol for people around the world to better understand Vietnam's just fight. At the same time, it shone the noble hearts of the Vietnamese people, just as our ancestors taught: "Use great justice to defeat cruelty; Use humanity to replace tyranny."
Later, the work "The Heart of the Vietnamese" was awarded a bronze medal by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists in the Photo Exhibition "A Journey of Photography" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Uncle Ho signing Decree No. 147/SL establishing the "Vietnam National Enterprise of Cinema and Photography" (March 15, 1953 - March 15, 2003).
During this same period, the photo "Let Mother Go Fight the Americans" by NSNA Tu Tien also left a deep impression. The photo captures a woman, a rifle slung over her shoulder, holding a small child in her arms, her eyes filled with hatred as she looks up at the sky filled with smoke from bombs, leaving her child to her neighbor who is hiding behind the A-shaped bunker door. The photo is vivid, captivating the viewer, as if hearing the roar of the American planes diving down to drop bombs and the militia girl rushing back to her fighting position... touching millions of hearts, and reminding them of a heroic time for the entire nation!
Photo collection "Ky Phuong Women's Squad - Heroic Unit". Ky Phuong Women's Squad, Ky Anh District (Ha Tinh) was established on April 3, 1968, consisting of 9 girls aged 17 to 19, equipped with rifles and machine guns. During 6 months of steadfast fighting, they shot down 3 American planes and coordinated with other forces to destroy 12 more, safely protecting traffic targets and artillery positions. With outstanding achievements, the Squad was awarded the Uncle Ho Badge, the Third Class Military Exploit Medal and in October 1972, was honored to be awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.
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After the war ended, in 1976, he was admitted to the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and transferred to the Communications Department of Nghe Tinh Health Department until his retirement. Regardless of his position, he still maintained his passion for photography, tirelessly traveling everywhere to record news and artistic photos on the subject of health and the working life of soldiers and civilians in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
When writing this article, I remember meeting him on the roads of Western Nghe An and witnessing the life-changing photos reflecting the life and people of Western Nghe An. That is the photo of Labor Hero, Director of Con Cuong Forestry Farm Nguyen Ngoc Lai when he was a worker of Trung Chinh Forest Exploitation Team, or the radiant smiling faces of two old ladies of Tam Dinh commune, Tuong Duong district (Nghe An) when "Electricity returns to the village"; "Melody of the forest"...
Later, NSNA Tu Tien collected his photographic works and published two photo books, "A time of bombs and bullets, a time of peace" (1999) and "A time to remember" (2000). His two photo books depicted the real and vivid moments of our army and people during the years of resistance against the US to save the country. Under the enemy's bombs and bullets, women, children and soldiers still lived and fought steadfastly. Those moments were not only about courage, will, and determination, but also about noble human values and the work of rebuilding, building and developing the country after the war ended and peace was restored.
The late General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, Le Phuc, when viewing the precious photos of NSNA Tu Tien, wrote: "Those who know photographer Tu Tien all recognize him as a passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated person to his profession... He is a diligent and serious worker... Tu Tien's lens reflects the real and vivid life of fighting, production and construction in a land famous for its rich revolutionary tradition... That is his hometown Nghe Tinh, a place closely associated with the ups and downs of the country... His photographic subjects are very diverse: medical, forestry, social culture, lowlands, mountains, islands... but the most prominent are the photos on the theme of the war against America... That is the quintessence, distilled from a lifetime of holding a camera of the artist...".
Former Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ho Xuan Hung, when viewing the photo collection of artist Tu Tien, also expressed his thoughts: "...Growing up in the cultural cradle of Nghe An, artist Tu Tien was nurtured and closely attached to his homeland, at the same time, devoted his whole life to the career of photography... During the fierce war years, as well as in the peaceful life of his homeland and country, his lens recorded many valuable documents about the nation's vital fighting period, as well as the image of the people's persistent labor in the cause of building socialism and the current cause of innovation... The photo series with the theme "War" is memories in artistic images...
Having gone through the hardships and harshness between life and death in the flames of war, the artist was able to capture images and events that left a deep impression on the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people... Many of his photos contain a noble philosophy of life of a nation that knows how to fight and win...".
His diligent and serious work has left behind invaluable photographic documents, worthy of being an example for future generations of photographers to follow. Although he has passed away, the works of NSNA Tu Tien still exist through the years.
