As in many other sectors, the government's attitude towards film production has gradually liberalized, offering filmmakers more opportunities. Othello explains this change: "The government would finance a film for the public studios, but unfortunately, they were all losers. That's when they decided to allow private companies to produce feature films. At first, we did technology transfer for the public studios. Then we were authorized to use our company to provide services. Then these companies were authorized to produce feature films. Then they were allowed to produce TV programs and later they were allowed to own TV channels."

In the midst of these changes, a wave of Vietnamese and Vietnamese filmmakers began to emerge. Tony Bui's Three Seasons (1999), about an American veteran who returns to Vietnam in search of a child he fathered during the war, proved a major success, garnering international acclaim and winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Shortly afterwards, directors Le Hoang and Vu Ngoc Dang established themselves as masters of the local box office with hits such as Gai Nhay (2003) and Nhung Co Gai Chan Dai (2004).

However, Othello points out that a gap quickly developed between local and international audiences. "If you make a film for Vietnamese audiences, it's proven that it will never have an international audience," he admits. "Some films have managed to succeed at festivals, but it's very limited, and the Vietnamese language is also something of a barrier. Nearly 100 million people speak Vietnamese, but only in Vietnam and in a few pockets of the diaspora here and there."

It's no laughing matter

Irene Trinh, Head of Production and Feature Films at CREATV Company, explains: "There's been a real shift in the narrative genre, from melodrama to comedy, from more serious themes and subjects to light-hearted, whimsical and sometimes farcical situations. Action films are rare, as are more serious dramas, as audiences have made their opinions clear at the box office. Over the last five years or so, for every four or five comedies produced, there's an action or drama. It's a trend that doesn't seem to be weakening, but is likely to continue in the years to come."

Irene, who has produced eight feature films in Vietnam since 2005 and worked with renowned directors such as Victor Vu, adds: "It would be wonderful to see Vietnamese cinema strong enough to revive dramas, thrillers and art-house films. It's certainly big enough to last, but how do we prepare and train audiences for its return? That's the challenge. This should be a concern of the industry as a whole, because it's important to have a varied and diverse cinematography for it to qualify as national cinema."

As an activist filmmaker who prefers to target international audiences, Othello is familiar with controversial subjects, as was the case with his award-winning 2007 film Saigon Eclipse. Examining the subject of poor Vietnamese women marrying wealthy foreigners, not out of love but out of desperation to help their families, and wondering whether this could be considered a form of human trafficking, he felt, and still feels, that being upfront with the government is the best method for both parties.

"I think if you work well with the people, there's no problem," he explains. "If you have a dual purpose, of course you'll have trouble. The government has had some bad experiences because some people played the game by running one scenario during the day and another scenario at night. The script they presented wasn't the one used in the film, and people lost their jobs."

"For my part, I'm very direct. It's too complicated and I can't have it both ways because I'm not smart enough," laughs Othello. "I spend enough energy trying to figure out what I really want to say. So whenever we do something that might be controversial, I lay it out from the start and the government explains its point of view. I feel it's more of a collaboration. Once we're clear about what we want to do, they're very helpful and part of the team working together to get it done."

The challenge for filmmakers hoping to succeed in Vietnamese cinemas, explained, is also partly due to the lack of laws obliging cinemas to reserve a certain number of screens for local films. As a result, filmmakers are less inclined to take risks when forced to compete with Hollywood blockbusters. "It's hard to make successful films in Vietnam because, even though there are more screens now, we only have two weeks to break through and we're up against films like Superman and Captain America."

"This makes it very difficult for Vietnamese cinema to develop," he continues. "The only way to do that is to have commercial receipts, which means the budget must not exceed $300,000. Otherwise, you can't make a profit in two weeks, and the only way to make this kind of film is to make a heavy comedy, a slapstick film that will appeal to the general public."

Nevertheless, several locally made films have enjoyed unprecedented success in recent years, appealing to a growing domestic audience of nearly 50 million. Most recently, director Le Thanh Son's comedy Em Chua 18 (2017) earned an impressive $8.8 million, while in 2015, Phan Xine Linh's Em La Ba Noi Cua Anh earned $4.76 million. From a commercial point of view, these figures are an encouraging sign for the film industry, although as a classic cinephile, it's clear that Othello hopes audiences desire a more in-depth exploration of the subject.

"I think over time, people have decided to have access to more foreign films," he asserts. "But mostly to what they call blockbusters. What a lot of people lack is an understanding and knowledge of film culture. Perhaps because of what they've been given, they're kept in a kind of childhood. Nobody knows John Ford, Fellini or François Truffaut.

Reflecting on the future for a moment, Othello adds, "But now that there's access to everything on the Internet and people are traveling to study abroad and back, maybe that third generation will start to grow up."