The Italian Film Festival 2025 officially opened yesterday at Galaxy Nguyen Du Cinema, marking the start of a week dedicated to contemporary Italian cinema and cultural exchange between Italy and Vietnam. On this occasion, Consul General Alessandra Tognonato delivered the following remarks, highlighting the role of cinema as a bridge between cultures and a celebration of creativity, emotion, and dialogue:<\/p>\n
Good evening, It is a great pleasure to welcome you all tonight to the opening of the 2025 Italian Film Festival here in Ho Chi Minh City.<\/p>\n After the remarkable success of last year\u2019s edition, we are proud to bring back this celebration of Italian cinema \u2014 a journey through emotions, creativity, and imagination.<\/p>\n Cinema, for Italy, is not only an art form. It is a mirror of our culture, our society, and our identity. It reflects who we are \u2014 our passions, our contradictions, and our humanity. And it continues to evolve, connecting past and present, tradition and innovation.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s selection of six films perfectly embodies that spirit. Tonight, we open with \u201cVermiglio<\/em>\u201d, directed by Maura Delpero. But the journey continues: Each of these films is a piece of Italy \u2014 its landscapes, its sounds, its emotions \u2014 shared with the world. As Ambassador Marco Della Seta said at the Festival opening in Hanoi, cinema is also diplomacy. And here, in Ho Chi Minh City, one of Asia\u2019s most vibrant and creative cities, this dialogue feels particularly alive. That is why this Festival is more than a cultural event. It is a celebration of friendship \u2014 between Italy and Vietnam, between our people and our imaginations.<\/p>\n I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who made this possible: May these six films inspire us, move us, and remind us that cinema, like friendship, knows no borders.<\/p>\n Buona visione!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Italian Film Festival 2025 officially opened yesterday at Galaxy Nguyen Du Cinema, marking the start of a week dedicated to contemporary Italian cinema and cultural exchange between Italy and Vietnam. On this occasion, Consul General Alessandra Tognonato delivered the following remarks, highlighting the role of cinema as a bridge between cultures and a celebration […]","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":5201,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5216"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5332,"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5216\/revisions\/5332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conshochiminh.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Distinguished guests, dear friends of Italy, dear Colleagues,<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThey represent a new season of Italian cinema \u2014 diverse in tone, powerful in storytelling, and deeply human in their message.<\/p>\n
\nA film of love and memory set among the Italian Alps, where silence hides both wounds and hope.
\n\u201cVermiglio<\/em>\u201d has moved audiences around the world \u2014 winner of the Silver Lion at Venice 2024, seven David di Donatello Awards, and Italy\u2019s choice for the 2025 Academy Awards.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cGloria<\/em>!\u201d, by Margherita Vicario, turns a convent into a stage for music, rebellion, and women\u2019s creativity.
\n\u201cHey Joe<\/em>\u201d, by Claudio Giovannesi, explores the fragile bond between a father and a son divided by life and destiny.
\n\u201cLa Vita Accanto<\/em>\u201d, by Marco Tullio Giordana, celebrates music as redemption and resilience.
\n\u201cDiciannove<\/em>\u201d, by Giovanni Tortorici, offers an authentic look at a restless young generation finding its voice.
\nAnd \u201cNonostante<\/em>\u201d, by Valerio Mastandrea, reminds us that even in pain, there is beauty, tenderness, and rebirth.<\/p>\n
\nTogether, they show how Italian cinema remains faithful to its roots while constantly renewing itself.<\/p>\n
\nIt builds bridges, sparks dialogue, and allows cultures to meet beyond words.
\nThrough films, we discover not only the stories of others, but often something deeper about ourselves.<\/p>\n
\nVietnam and Italy share a profound appreciation for art, music, design, and storytelling \u2014 all expressions of beauty and humanity.<\/p>\n
\nthe Embassy of Italy in Hanoi, Professor Cinzia Grieco, Mr Simon Dona\u2019, Mr Antonio Bonomo, Ms Thuy Dao, our Vietnamese partners and sponsors, and of course, our Vietnamese audience, whose enthusiasm gives meaning to our work. Thank you to the filmmakers who continue to tell Italy\u2019s story with courage and originality.<\/p>\n