Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister Tạ Quang Đông described the event as a significant cultural and cinematic occasion marking a new stage in cooperation between Viet Nam and Belarus.
He noted that Viet Nam and Belarus have long enjoyed a close and traditional friendship. The Vietnamese people have always remembered the wholehearted support extended by the people of Belarus during Viet Nam's struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as throughout its national reconstruction and development.
Today, more than three decades after the establishment of diplomatic relations, the traditional friendship between the two countries continues to grow stronger. Cooperation in politics, the economy, culture and social affairs has been steadily consolidated and expanded, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations.
Implemented as part of the outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Belarus in May 2025, and under the 2026–2028 Cultural Cooperation Programme between Viet Nam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture of Belarus, the Belarus Film Days in Viet Nam represent an important cultural event introducing Vietnamese audiences to a selection of outstanding contemporary Belarusian films. The programme promises to offer audiences moving stories and memorable cinematic experiences.
Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong expressed his belief that the event would strengthen ties between filmmakers and audiences in both countries, inspiring creativity and providing fresh momentum for Vietnamese cinema to continue developing, innovating and integrating more deeply with the global film industry. He added that the event stands as vivid testimony to the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Belarus, deepening cooperation in cinema while contributing to the development of the Viet Nam–Belarus Strategic Partnership.
For his part, Belarusian Ambassador Uladzimir Baravikou described the occasion as a landmark in the history of bilateral relations, noting that it was the first time the two countries had jointly organised an event of such scale in the field of cinema.
He said that the Belarus Film Days would make an important contribution to advancing Belarus–Viet Nam relations during the implementation of the Strategic Partnership framework, becoming a memorable milestone in the history of cooperation between the two countries.
The Ambassador also expressed his hope that the programme would become an annual tradition, to be followed next year by Viet Nam Film Days in Belarus as part of celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and Belarus (1992–2027). He said he hoped audiences in both countries would continue to have opportunities to enjoy films by Belarusian and Vietnamese directors.
This year's programme features six films for Vietnamese audiences, opening with “One for Two”, directed by Ivan Pavlov and produced in 2026. The 90-minute film is dedicated to two Belarusian heroes, pilots Andrei Nichiporchik and Nikita Kukonenko. On May 19, 2021, during a training flight in Baranovichi, their Yak-130 aircraft suffered a technical failure. The two pilots steered the uncontrollable aircraft away from residential areas until the very last moments, sacrificing their own lives to save civilians when the aircraft crashed into an open field.
The remaining five films are “The Song of Sirin”, directed by Elena Turova (2024); “Berezinsky Biosphere”, directed by Igor Byshnev (2023); “The Class Teacher”, directed by Kirill Khaletsky (2025); and “Turning Point”, directed by Dmitry Soroka (2025).
The National Cinema Centre is offering free admission to all screenings during the Belarus Film Days in Viet Nam.
