The Embassy of Italy in Hanoi is glad to invite you to the Italian night of the 16th European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival, which will take place on Wednesday, 23 September 23 at the National Documentary and Scientific Film Studio (465 Hoang Hoa Tham, Phuong Ngoc Ha, Hanoi).
The agenda of the evening is as follows:
7:00 pm – Screening of “Keeping green forever” (2024) by Vietnamese directors Nguyen Quang Tuan and Dang Thi Kim Son, at their presence.
7:35 pm – Screening of “She” (2025) by Italian director Parsifal Reparato, at his presence. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival 2025, where it was selected for the Critics’ Week, and went on to receive the Feature Documentary Award at the Adelaide Film Festival 2025.
The movies will be screened in the original language with English subtitles.
The following day, 24 September, from 9:00 to 11:30 am, director and anthropologist Parsifal Reparato will lead a dedicated workshop titled “From Fieldwork to Film: Research, Ethics, and Representation in Documentary Practice”, to be held in the screening room at the National Studio for Documentary and Scientific Film.
The workshop will offer participants the opportunity to engage directly with the filmmaking process as both a form of research and an artistic encounter. Starting with “Nimble Fingers” (2017), the director’s first film made in Vietnam, participants will explore how fieldwork, access, and ethical considerations shape cinematic storytelling. The session will trace how these approaches evolved in “She” and other projects, opening up a discussion on representation, methodology, creative processes, and opportunities for co-production. Participants are encouraged to bring their own questions and interests, making the workshop a collaborative exploration of how lived realities can be transformed into films.
Free entrance on both days. No ticket or confirmation is required for either event.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Synopsis – “Keeping green forever’’
The film tells the story of the revival of a forest and the work and lives of the people who made this remarkable transformation possible. Once a mangrove forest devastated during the war by Agent Orange/dioxin and later severely affected by deforestation, Can Gio Mangrove Forest has made a spectacular recovery thanks to sound government policies and the tireless efforts of the authorities, scientists, and local communities. With its remarkably rich and diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna, Can Gio Mangrove Forest has been recognized by UNESCO as Vietnam’s first World Biosphere Reserve. The forest has now begun to “give back” to the people by providing sustainable livelihoods for local communities, while becoming the “green lung of Ho Chi Minh City.” Today, although the forest faces challenges from urbanization and climate change, generations of forest guardians continue their mission of protecting and developing Can Gio Forest for the present and for future generations.
Synopsis – “She’’
She documents Vietnamese women factory workers in Bac Ninh province, employed at one of the world’s largest electronic component factories. The movies highlighting their struggles, resilience, and the global economic structures that shape their daily reality. Reparato alternates between factory scenes, workers’ homes, and surrounding businesses, contrasting men’s and women’s experiences. She questions the structure of the global economy and highlights the exploitation underlying modern consumer electronics.
