Inland Water Representation in Foreign Films Shot in Vietnam in Three Decades: Reflection on the film contexts and Film Tourism

In the past, war was the factor that brought foreign film crews to Vietnam but today, the majestic and diverse natural landscape is the attraction, turning Vietnam into a good place for foreign filmmakers. The water image attracts the audience not only because it shows certain meaning to the film background but also because it reveals a new destination for tour-goers. Using the text-based approach with content analysis, the study analyzes five films shot in Vietnam in three decades: L’amant (Jean-Jacques 1991), Indochine (Regis Wargnier 1992), The Quiet American (Phillip Noyce 2002), The Chinese Botanist's Daughter (Dai Sijie 2006), and Kong: Skull Island (Jordan Vogt-Roberts 2017) to answer two questions: (1) how the inland water representation in foreign films shot in Vietnam reflects the film contexts (cultural, economic, political), and (2) what makes the audience interested in the waterscapes narrated in the firms in terms of tourism. The water image in film shows livelihood of the local people and their living standards in the region; political regime’s impacts on their lives; agricultural infrastructure that supports them to make a living; and relationships among people living on or around the waterscapes. The audience recognizes the lesser-known destinations in the films and this urges them to explore prominent inland water attractions; join local culture activities at little-visited area; and inspire other filmmakers to share the waterscapes in their potential films to the world. The research also recommends both the foreign film producers and the local ones to reflect the waterscapes in the recent times, especially when Vietnam applied the renovation policy and it becomes an emerging country with overpopulation.