Vietnamese films have struggled to break even this year with Vietnamese choosing to see big-name international blockbusters at cinemas rather than local firms. One film, Mai, had some success, however, other releases have struggled to make more than a few thousand dollars, according to VietnamNet.

Industry insiders quoted in the article suggest this is due to a lack of good quality marketing campaigns and receiving low-traffic showing times at cinemas.

However, this comes just days after it was reported that the locally produced film Viet and Nam, which is headed for the Cannes Film Festival, was banned from distribution by the Department of Cinema because of its ‘gloomy’ depiction of Vietnam.

This might suggest that there is a disconnect between what audiences want and what film producers and censors want them to see.

Of note, whereas creative industries make up about 5 to 10 percent of global GDP, in Vietnam that figure is only estimated to be about 3 percent.