BUV hosts masterclass with Vietnamese international award-winning filmmaker 

Film & Media Production Students from the School of Communications & Creative Industries (SOCCI) recently enjoyed an inspirational masterclass with internationally acclaimed independent filmmaker, Ms Nguyen Hoang Diep, in conversation with students and Head of School & fellow filmmaker Dr Paul D.J.Moody. 

Known for her distinct cinematic voice and award-winning films like “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” and “1982,” Ms Hoang Diep brought a wealth of project development and production experience, as writer, director and producer, to share with Film & Media Production students on BUV’s award-winning campus 

Unique style in the global film industry 

For aspiring students at BUV, Ms Diep’s journey offers deep insight into the film directing process, from idea conception and screenplay writing to final delivery.  

By analysing clips from her breakthrough feature “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” and “1982,” students went behind the scenes to hear the stories of how these works were developed. The movie “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere” marked a breakthrough in her career, earning numerous awards at international film festivals and making her the Best Director at the Bratislava International Film Festival.  

BUV students witnessed firsthand how she centralises the emotional journeys of her characters and maintains a signature style through her brave and engrossing storytelling. The young director establishes a distinctive style characterised by profound sensitivity and femininity, crafting a modern, haunting, and visually beautiful cinematic aesthetic.  

During the masterclass, she also shared about the immense responsibility of being a director with such a distinctive style that prioritises character-driven emotional development over rigid logic.  

In theatre, she has earned the reputation of a producer who “goes against the wind,” consistently achieving both commercial and artistic success with challenging productions in a local theatre landscape with limited audiences. 

The discussion went beyond her own filmography, highlighting her role in the Vietnamese independent film community. In 2021, she organised the “Hanoi Winter” film residency program, focusing on women filmmakers and gender equality themes. It was the second-largest film residency program in Vietnam for young filmmakers. 

A solid foundation for creative minds 

For Ms Diep, filmmaking is not just a career but a deeply humanist pursuit. During the session, she spoke from the heart and with strong humanist analysis about her formative influences – poetry and literature.  

Her advice for the next generation of filmmakers began not with a camera, but with a book. “I always carry a book or two with me,” she shared, stressing that true creativity starts with an intellectual and emotional foundation. 

She urged BUV students to embrace reading and writing as essential tools for any creative process. By sharing her journey from the Hanoi Academy of Film and Theatre to becoming a celebrated director and producer, she illustrated how a strong grounding in literature and poetry allows a director to capture the poetics of life. 

In the following Q&A session, BUV students engaged with Ms Diep on everything from the pressures of maintaining a creative vision to the technicalities of production. She also referred a diverse range of cinematic influences and directors, including Tran Anh Hung, Mike Leigh, and Andrei Tarkovsky to name but a few, providing students with a roadmap for their own professional growth. 

This masterclass taught our Film and Media Production students that being a writer, director and producer is about more than technical skill; it is about the bravery to address human realities while balancing a unique artistic voice. By learning from her journey, BUV students are better prepared to climb the creative ladder and make their own mark on global film and media production. 

This session is an exciting part of our Film & Media Production programme, which – like our other SOCCI programmes – immerses students in the practice and aesthetics of filmmaking so that they can confidently build their careers in the vibrant reality of the global creative industries.