“Letters from Antarctica” presented at the European Film Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam
Between May 19 and June 5, 2022, the annual edition of the European Film Festival in Vietnam is held with screenings in four major cities in the country - Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Dalat. Sixteen countries of the European Union and Ukraine are presented in the festival, each with one contemporary film, in genres such as drama, comedy, historical, family, and musical. The leading themes of this year's edition of the festival are "Family" and "Youth", and the films are selected to present to the Vietnamese audience the diverse perspectives of European lifestyles, culture and society.
Over the years, the European Film Festival has established itself as one of the most important film festivals in Vietnam and is one of the important events in the cultural calendar of the capital. In 2021, due to the epidemiological situation the festival was cancelled, and its return to the local cultural scene this year shows even increased interest, especially from young people.
The screening of the Bulgarian film "Letters from Antarctica" in Hanoi was presented in front of a full hall. It was opened with a short speech by a representative of the Bulgarian embassy, who highlighted the importance of the festival for the Vietnamese audience's contact with European culture and the ambition of the organizers to provoke lasting interest in Bulgaria and Europe and the huge opportunities they offer in areas such as culture, tourism, education and more.
The film of the director Stanislav Donchev from 2019 was carefully selected to fit into both main themes of the festival, presenting a story that shows the strength of love, will, friendship and compassion. "Letters from Antarctica" was extremely well received by the audience, which was visibly excited by the story of the characters and applauded the production after the screening.
The production was included in the film festival with the assistance of the State Cultural Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which traditionally supports the participation of Bulgarian diplomatic missions in similar international projects.
For another year, the Bulgarian participation in the European Film Festival can be assessed as successful, contributing to the promotion of the achievements of Bulgarian cinema and Bulgarian culture in general. At the same time, the image of Bulgaria as an integral, creative and modern part of the European cultural space continues to be established.