Earlier, the Department of Cinema received an invitation from the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to submit one movie representing Vietnam for the preliminary round of the best international feature at the 97th Academy Awards which is set to take place in Los Angeles, the US.
The department called for submissions on its website - cucdienanh.vn - and received four registrations, including "Dao, Pho and Piano", “ Cai gia cua hanh phuc” (The Price of Happiness), "Lat Mat 7: Mot dieu uoc" (Face off 7: One wish), and "Mai".
On September 23, the National Council for Film Selection discussed and decided to choose the state-funded war film "Dao, Pho and Piano" which portrays a young couple’s journey to reunite on February 17, 1947, the last day of the 60-day Battle of Hanoi which signaled the start of the First Indochina War.
Directed by Phi Tien Son and commissioned by the Cinema Department, the film was produced by the Film No. 1 Joint Stock Company at a cost of 20 billion VND (815,080 USD).
The film won the Silver Lotus Award at the 23rd Vietnam Film Festival held in Lam Dong province in November 2023.