Director General of the Azerbaijan Film Agency Rashad Azizov presents a gift to the Vietnam Film Institute delegation. (Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper)

The year 2026 marked the first time the event had been expanded to include international guests, including Vietnam. It also provided an opportunity for the two countries to further deepen cultural cooperation through cinema and honour the historical values nurtured by generations of their people.

For Vietnam’s cinema, the event in Baku (Azerbaijan) held particular significance as it recalled the contributions of director Ajdar Ibrahimov, who was invited by President Ho Chi Minh to Vietnam in 1959 to help train film professionals during the formative years of the country’s revolutionary cinema. Despite the hardships of wartime, he shared his professional knowledge and experience, helping train generations of Vietnamese artists and laying an important foundation for the development of the country’s cinema in the decades that followed.

Addressing the event, Director of the Vietnam Film Institute Le Thi Ha affirmed that although Vietnam and Azerbaijan are geographically distant, the two countries have always maintained sincere and trusting relations. The values established decades ago continue to provide a foundation for stronger exchanges and cooperation in the film sector, she said.

On the occasion, the Vietnam Film Institute screened three classics of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema in Baku: The Passerine Bird, Two Soldiers and An Early Autumn Day. It also introduced the book What I Saw in Vietnam by director Ajdar Ibrahimov, helping the Azerbaijani public gain a deeper understanding of his affection for Vietnam and its people, as well as his contributions to Vietnamese revolutionary cinema.

Referring to Ibrahimov, Director Le Thi Ha said his legacy had become a meaningful symbol of Vietnam-Azerbaijan friendship. The presentation of Vietnamese films and materials about his life and career in Baku demonstrated Vietnam’s respect for a great friend of its cinema and contributed to preserving the shared memories of the two nations.

Residents of Baku welcome and interact with the Vietnam Film Institute delegation. (Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper)

Following the programme, many guests exchanged views with the Vietnam Film Institute delegation on Ajdar Ibrahimov’s legacy in Vietnam and the prospects for future cooperation between the two countries’ film institutions. Ambassador Shovgi Mehdizada, together with Azerbaijani filmmakers and scholars, expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s continued efforts to preserve and promote the values left behind by Ibrahimov. The delegates said that the screening of Vietnamese films in Baku and the preservation of materials relating to the Azerbaijani director provided vivid testimony to the friendship between the two countries.

Third Vietnamese Day at Baku Draw Numerous Participants The third Vietnam Day was held in Baku on July 26-29, at the initiative and organization of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Vietnam. Numerous guests from Vietnam - musicians, artists, writers, scientists, businessmen, and officials - visited Baku to participate in the events.

Promoting Tourism Activities between Vietnam and Azerbaijan According to Florian Sengstschmid, Chief Executive Officer of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, Vietnam is a favorite destination for the Azerbaijani people. However, the lack of direct flights between the two countries has contributed to the modest number of Azerbaijani visitors to Vietnam in recent times.