A new documentary film on tuong or hat boi (classical drama) produced by Vietnam Television will be released in Hanoi, Can Tho and HCM City this month as part of the station’s efforts to introduce Vietnamese culture and theatre to audiences.

The film, Đoạn Trường Vinh Hoa (Glory Road), features artists from the Phuong Anh Troupe, a private, travelling tuong troupe from Binh Thuy District in Can Tho City.  It highlights veteran actress Nguyen Thi Anh, the troupe’s owner, who is the third generation of her family involved in the classical drama art.

The film’s young director Le My Cuong and his film crew spent several weeks living and working with actors from the Phuong Anh Troupe during shooting. They captured beautiful images featuring actors on stage and in daily life.

Đoạn Trường Vinh Hoa provides audiences with the knowledge of tuong, a symbolic form of Vietnamese theatre that originated in the central region and expanded in southern Vietnam, particularly in Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta provinces. Performances about the hopes and dreams of southern people are also featured.

The film will be released at 7pm at the French Cultural Centre in Hanoi, IDECAF in HCM City, and in cinemas in Can Tho on October 18 and 28, and November 1. It will air on VTV1 next month.