Speaking to VietNamNet, Mr. Dang Tran Cuong, Director of the Cinema Department, said that over the past two days, the department has been working actively with relevant parties regarding the distribution of Let Me Shine on online platforms in Vietnam.

The film contains an image of the “nine-dash line” map, which violates Vietnam’s national sovereignty and Article 9 of the 2022 Cinema Law.

The department has issued a formal request to involved parties to submit reports and explanations regarding the distribution of the film.

The Cinema Department, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, issued Official Dispatch No. 1551/DA-VP on October 4 to Tencent Holdings Limited and Image Future Investment (HK) Limited  -  the two companies involved in the film  -  reminding them to comply with Vietnamese law when distributing films online in the country.

Based on relevant reports and official explanations, the department stated:

“According to Article 21 of the 2022 Cinema Law and Article 12 of Decree No. 131/2022/ND-CP, organizations distributing films online in Vietnam must be recognized as meeting the conditions for film classification or must be granted a film classification license or a broadcasting decision.

As of now, the Cinema Department has not received any application from Tencent Holdings Limited or any affiliated entity, including Image Future Investment (HK) Limited.”

To ensure compliance with Vietnamese cinema regulations, the department requested that both companies suspend all film distribution activities online in Vietnam until they are officially recognized as qualified to classify films for online distribution.

The department also requested the companies to provide detailed reports outlining their organizational structure, operational model, and the legal relationship between Tencent and Image Future. The companies must also submit a specific plan on how they intend to meet Vietnam’s requirements for online film classification.

The Cinema Department required Tencent Holdings Limited and Image Future Investment (HK) Limited to submit their reports and confirmations of suspension of film distribution activities by 12:00 PM on October 6.

The department emphasized that all companies must comply with Vietnamese law to maintain a healthy and lawful film distribution environment.

Let Me Shine is a 32-episode Chinese television series recently available on several online streaming platforms in Vietnam.

On the evening of October 2, several viewers noticed that at minute 29 of episode 16, a map featuring the illegal nine-dash line appeared behind the character Hao Minh, played by Chen Weiting.

This is not the first time a Chinese film has sparked controversy in Vietnam due to the inclusion of the nine-dash line.

Previously, several films have faced boycotts or been banned in Vietnam due to sensitive and misleading content that seriously violated the country’s territorial sovereignty.

Tuan Chieu