Tears welled up with the documentary about Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh "living in the hearts of the people"!

Attendees of the book introduction “Nguyen Ba Thanh – A Son of Da Nang” by female writer and journalist Nguyen Kim Thanh on the afternoon of January 29 could not hold back their tears while watching the documentary “Living in the Heart of the People” produced by Da Nang Radio and Television (DRT) (script and director: Quoc Phon) after the leader whom the people of the city on the Han River loved so much passed away to return to the eternal place.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Canh, the eldest son of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, presented flowers to thank female writer and journalist Nguyen Kim Thanh, director Quoc Phon and bowed his head in gratitude to those who loved his father with all their hearts! (Photo: HC)

The film begins with the image of thousands of people from Da Nang and other localities gathering at Da Nang airport on the evening of January 9, 2015, shouting "Brother Thanh, stay strong! Brother Thanh, stay alive!" to welcome Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh back after his medical treatment in the US... And ends with the image of tens of thousands of people sobbing as they bid him farewell to his motherland Hoa Tien, accompanied by the soulful lyrics of musician Dinh Tham: "Only by understanding each other's hearts can we reach the end. Only by understanding each other's hearts can we fully understand the meaning of love...".

In between those two images is a 14-minute documentary recording the journey of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh associated with Da Nang, with the people of this city in the role and responsibility of a driver, creating miraculous changes not only for the urban appearance but also for the lives of the people of the city "at the beginning of the sea and the end of the river". That is why, even though he has passed away forever, Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh will always live forever in the hearts of the people of Da Nang, just like the name of the documentary: "Living in the hearts of the people"!

Meritorious Artist Huynh Hung, Director of DRT expressed: “If we were to make a film about Nguyen Ba Thanh’s entire life, dozens of episodes would not be enough, not enough to finish. This film chooses the biggest highlight of Nguyen Ba Thanh’s life, which is living among the people. He lived his whole life with the people, for the people. So he will always live forever in the hearts of the people of Da Nang!”

Previously, DRT also made a documentary film “City Party Secretary” about Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, winning the C prize of the 2014 National Press Award. Immediately after Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh passed away, with the help of musician Tran Ai Nghia and musicians who had works about him, within just 2 days (compared to the usual 1-2 months), DRT completed a 30-minute music film about the late Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee.

Both of the above films were broadcast by DRT during the funeral of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh. As for the documentary “Living in the heart of the people”, DRT reserved it for broadcast on the occasion of the first anniversary of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh’s death (February 3, 2016, or December 25, At Mui year).

There is a detail in the process of making the film “Living in the heart of the people” that Meritorious Artist Huynh Hung has just “revealed”. That is, from the time of welcoming Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh from the US to Da Nang until his death, DRT was not allowed to report the news but had to wait for the official press release from the central government. However, DRT leaders still directed director Quoc Phon to organize a “backup” to film the footage of Da Nang people welcoming Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh at Da Nang airport. And those are the opening images of this film!

And although the film "Living in the heart of the people" has not been officially broadcast, with all their affection, the DRT leaders still agreed to transfer the film to Infonet to introduce it to a wide range of readers near and far on the occasion of the 1 year anniversary of Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh's death!

According to Infonet