The documentary series titled ‘Vuot Song” (overcoming the Waves) chronicling the 50-year journey of the Party, Government, and people of Ho Chi Minh City from April 30, 1975, to the present, will be broadcast, starting on March 25.
The journey of happiness
At the film's launching event, General Director of Ho Chi Minh City Television, Cao Anh Minh, emphasized that 50 years after the reunification is not only a long journey but also a heroic trip. From a country severely damaged by a long war, nowadays, Vietnam has become a peaceful, friendly, green, and developed nation. The documentary series is based on real stories and characters, providing the audience a deeper understanding of the development journey of Ho Chi Minh City over the past 50 years.
As one of the dozens of directors who participated in producing the film, female director Nguyen Thi Thu Trang was assigned to create three episodes about the construction project of Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien). She said that she could not remember how many nights the film crew stayed on the construction site. It is definitely the longest and most challenging project she has ever implemented.
Director My Khanh, who carried out the episodes in the 1975-1986 period, expressed her honor in taking part in the project and the joy of meeting many researchers, journalists, and witnesses who provided valuable information for the film.
Meanwhile, director Ngoc Ha, who implemented the episodes in the 2000-2025 period, shared her happiness at accompanying young people with a deep love for the city. They collected garbage, cleaned up polluted canals, and faced a high risk of HIV infection, contributing to keeping the city green, clean, and beautiful as well as to the development of a civilized city.
Inspiration shots
Director Pham Viet Phuoc, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Television Films Studio (TFS), said that one of the biggest challenges in making this documentary series was finding the appropriate title. “Vuot Song” (overcoming the waves) is a journey of overcoming challenges and barriers to move forward.
Despite having the advantage of abundant resources, the film crew still faced many difficulties, such as the large volume of research, the subject matter spanning many years, and numerous complex issues.
According to journalist Thai Thanh Chung, who participated in directing the film, despite great efforts, the film still cannot fully reflect all the difficulties and efforts of the Party, government, and people of Ho Chi Minh City. It is only a glimpse that helps today’s generation see the sacrifices, hardships, and courage of the previous generations.
He believed that the documentary would be a lesson and motivation for today's generation to build resilience when facing challenges.
The documentary series chronicling the 50-year journey of the Party, Government, and people of Ho Chi Minh City from April 30, 1975, to the present, will be broadcast on the HTV9 channel, HTV, and TFS digital platforms from March 25 to April 30.
The film has 37 episodes, with each episode lasting 20 minutes. It is divided into three phases, including the subsidy period (1975-1986) comprising 12 episodes, presenting wounds of war after the reunification; the renewal period (1986-1999) consisting of 9 episodes, telling about the turning points of Ho Chi Minh City and the country when the Doi Moi (Renewal) policy was issued; and the integration period (2000-2025) consisting of 16 episodes, introducing the strong development and transformation of Ho Chi Minh City from a traditional economic center to a creative urban hub and regional financial and technology center.
