VietNamNet Bridge – A documentary television series on the culture and lifestyle of people living in the Mekong River Delta province of Ben Tre will air later this year.

Inside look: The beauty of Ben Tre Province and its people are featured in the documentary TV series Van Hoa Dua directed by Huu Vinh. (Photo: VNS)
The 90 minute-show, Van Hoa Dua (Coconut Culture), includes three episodes and is produced by the province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its partner, Television and Radio Centre.

Based on a screenplay by Huu Vinh, it features people from Ben Tre from the fields of culture and tourism.

It also features famous landscapes and tourist sites such as the Ham Luong River, Con Tien and Vam Ho.

Vinh, also the film's director, said the film highlights Viet Nam's first Major General Nguyen Thi Dinh, a resident of Ben Tre, and her remarkable work under the American War that led to the region's liberation.

"Through our film, we hope young audiences understand the spirit and revolutionary cause of the late heroine Dinh in Vietnamese history," he said.

Vinh said his crew began their filming last week and will travel around the province to shoot the film.

The making of Van Hoa Dua is part of Ben Tre's various cultural activities to mark the third Coconut Festival, which will begin in early January.

TV shows portraying the life and work of farmers living in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region have captured thousands of viewers.

Tran Ngoc Tam, director of Ben Tre's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said his office had worked with film studios in the province and from HCM City to produce quality TV series serving farmers and their children.

"We wanted TV programmes aimed at the farming community. They have proved popular in southern provinces, where entertainment shows and films usually rule the roost," said Nguyen Chi Tan, deputy general of the HCM City Television.

HCM City TV's Film Studio Centre (TFS) has co-operated with private film companies, including Phuoc Sang and Cuu Long, in both human resources and finance to produce TV programmes that feature traditional culture and lifestyle, and tourist destinations.

Popular among the rural community are the shows Ra Khoi (Sailing Forth) and Thoi Su Nong Nghiep (Agricultural News).

The first broadcast on HTV9 in 2007, Ra Khoi became a forum for farmers to share and discuss their agricultural successes and problems.

The 20-minute programme includes the latest information about farming and opportunities and challenges facing the country in the global economy.

It also features personalities who have achieved success in farming and who sell their produce at home and abroad.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News