A highlight of the event was a cinematic tribute to late Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens and his partner Marceline Loridan-Ivens, whose documentaries offered the world a truthful and humane view of Vietnam’s struggle for independence.

Two classic films, “Meeting President Ho Chi Minh” and “The Threatening Sky,” were screened.

Representatives of the Vietnam-Netherlands Friendship and Cooperation Association said the couple were outstanding artists and loyal friends of Vietnam, whose films capture both the hardships of war and the nation’s resilience and desire for peace.

“We found letters which prove that he was there in 1969, during a meeting between soldiers from the frontline and Ho Chi Minh, talking about their successes. The film was shot by a very old, lousy Russian camera, which was the cause of the trembling effect. It's an important film, not in an artistic way, but in a historical way,” André Stufkens, Chairman of the European Joris Ivens Foundation, recalled.

Nguyen Quynh Anh, a first-year English major at Thuy Loi University, said the screenings deeply moved young viewers.

"I felt incredibly honored to attend today. Watching these meaningful documentaries about our country's history, the arduous but resilient struggle through years of war, deeply moved me.”

As her own family lost a relative in the resistance against the US, so Quynh Anh said she felt a personal connection to the sacrifices shown on screen. “I’m truly grateful to the Friendship Association for this program and to the Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens for giving my generation a way to understand our past so truthfully and deeply.”

Vietnam-Netherlands ties date back to the 17th century and were strengthened through wartime humanitarian support. Today, cooperation continues to expand in areas such as climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture.  

Below are a some photos taken during the friendship meeting: