Biography
Đặng Nhật Minh (born 1938 in Huế, Vietnam) is a leading Vietnamese film director and screenwriter. His initial involvement in film was translating Russian movies from the USSR into Vietnamese. After his father passed away during the Vietnam War in 1967, he benefited from party-related career opportunities, which, alongside his own learning, enabled him to become a director. His debut film, created in 1965, was a documentary on geology. Subsequent significant works include "Ha Bac My Hometown" (Hà Bắc quê hương, 1967), "May - Faces" (Tháng 5 - Những gương mặt, 1975), and "Nguyen Trai" (Nguyễn Trãi, 1980). As a documentary filmmaker, he acted as the government’s observer and chronicler of historical events.
Đặng then began adapting existing plays, producing films such as "Stars on the Sea" (Những ngôi sao biển, 1977) and "A Year-end Rainy Day" (Ngày mưa cuối năm, 1980). Around 1980, he wrote a short story titled "The Town Within Reach" (Thị xã trong tầm tay), which was published in Văn Nghệ (Literature and Arts) magazine and won an award. This success made him consider leaving filmmaking for writing. However, shortly afterward, encouraged by a new friend, he adapted "The Town Within Reach" into a film in 1983, marking the start of his filmography. In his autobiography, he states: "So I determined my direction: I only make films for which I write the script myself, addressing issues that interest and move me. Having found a way to exist in cinema, I no longer contemplate giving it up."
Đặng’s films are poetic, rich with political discourse, and frequently provoke controversy and face censorship in Vietnam. Often centered on women whose viewpoints are marginalized, his stories closely follow Vietnamese historical struggles such as the Sino-Vietnamese War ("The Town Within Reach," 1983), the post-war era ("When The Tenth Month Comes," 1984; "The Girl on the River," 1987), the Đổi Mới economic reforms ("The Return," 1994), and post-independence Vietnam ("The Guava Season," 2000). Except for "Miss Nhung," "Don't Burn," and "Hanoi: Winter of 1946," a recurring theme in most of his films is betrayal.
Đặng Nhật Minh also served as General Secretary of the Vietnam Film Association for over a decade (1989–2000), where he enjoyed strong support from members. He ultimately resigned from the position due to disagreements with political changes within the association.
12 wins and 8 nominations
