Staff of the Vietnam Feature Film Studio (VFS) have strongly opposed policies of their new management board after equitisation, worrying that they would kill the firm. 

Equitisation disappointment

The headquarters of Vietnam Feature Film Studio in Thuy Khue Street, Hanoi.

After many years of losses, VFS was equitised with 20% of its stake being held by the state, 65% by strategic investor Waterway Transport Corporation JSC (VIVASO), 5% by its employees and the remaining 15% by other investors. 

Artists hoped that equitisation would open a new page for the VFS development backed by a strong commitment from the strategic investor, but, this has turned out to be a great disappointment to them.  

In just over two months since equitisation, many employees have only received part of their salaries while some have not yet been paid. 

Previously screenwriters, directors, cameramen and the designers team had their own offices; but after the equitisation, they have to work in the same room. Meanwhile, the four old rooms where they worked previously have been leased out to other businesses.

Accessories and clothes for film production were also moved to a VIVASO storage facility some 40 kilometres from the studio and the management board has since rented out the empty storage. Several other rooms have also been leased to shops.

All scripts of many Vietnam’s famous films have been moved to Vietnam Film Institute, which has upset many senior artists who said that this seemed to be a slight to the tradition of the studio.

Speaking at a meeting between VFS's employees and their new managers from VIVASO on September 19, Director Nguyen Xuan Thanh said that many artists are now worried about the future of the studio as the equitisation process didn’t seem to have anything to do with making films and was more about exploiting the company’s property.

Director Quoc Tuan said that as the strategic investor was a water transport firm, why would they have any idea at all about how to develop a film studio? Tuan also added that the equitisation was very quick and was not transparent.

Regarding the question that why some artists were not paid after the equitisation, VIVASO’s Chairman Nguyen Thuy Nguyen said that the studio will only pay staff members who worked there for the enough time as required and those who had ongoing films. While people who do not have films were not going to be paid.

VIVASO’s Chairman Nguyen Thuy Nguyen speaks at the meeting with artists on September 19.

However, when being asked, how artists could work on films when they are not being paid by the studio, Nguyen failed to give an answer. He also gave unclear answers as to why the props and costume department had been relocated, nor could he answer questions related to the future of the studio.

Government intervention

On September 20, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam visited VFS himself following the disastrous press conference.

 Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam (right) meet with artists at the Vietnam Film Studio on September 20.

Dam said to the artists that the government will re-consider the equitisation of the VFS and investigate any potential problems that had arisen.

On the same day, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien had a meeting with representatives from VFS and the steering board for VFS’ equitisation.

The chairman of VIVASO admitted problems in the management of the equitised studio, adding that the management board would learn from the experience.

He pledged to pay more attention to the studio staff members after being told to by Minister Nguyen Ngoc Thien.

Nguyen also noted that the studio will try to improve the studio’s performance so that that government would not have to continue its involvement.

According to Minister Nguyen Ngoc Thien, the studio’s current headquarters are rented from Hanoi’s authorities, so, they were not allowed to be leased out for other activities. He also requested the studio to repair the headquarters and make it suitable for film production only, not for other purposes.  

Dtinews