VietNamNet Bridge – Two documentary films, produced by French and Vietnamese artists, opened the third International Festival of Documentary Films at HCM City's IDECAF Theatre on Monday night.

Stephane Gillot's Pietragalla: Sur la pointe des pieds (Dancing on top of foot) was made in 2009.

The 52-minute film features the work of contemporary dancers under choreographer Marie-Claude Pietragalla, who performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Gillot spent six months to capture the challenges of young dancers, on stage and in life, through his lens.

Dites-le or Hay Noi (Let's Talk), a 26-minute work by Dao Thanh Tung and Phan Huyen Thu is also about dance.

The film is about young rapper Kim and her friends from the dance group Bigtoe, who travelled around Viet Nam to introduce their art.

Through their performance trip, they have opportunities to discover the world, life, love and people.

Nguyen Van Huong's 21-minute Dieu Mua Co (Traditional Dance) will be screened tonight.

The film portrays Nguyen Tu Nghiem, one of Viet Nam's most talented painters who effectively mixed traditional and Western elements in painting.

The festival drew seven entries from Italy, German, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Belgium, and Poland.

The host country's seven films focus on the culture and lifestyle of Vietnamese in their daily life.

Vietnamese filmmakers sent their latest works, hoping the festival will bring their productions much-needed publicity.

They also hope to learn and exchange skills and experience in an international setting.

The one-week festival is one of the activities organised by the European Union National Institute for Culture (EUNIC) in Ha Noi.

Its theme is "A country without documentary films is like a family with no photo album", a quotation from Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzman.

Every night, one European and one Vietnamese film on the same theme are screened.

Organisers hope the festival's entries bring new perspectives and ideas for audiences.

The screening will also begin in Ha Noi tonight at the Viet Nam National Documentary and Scientific Film Studio.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News