Free film season marking 81 years of the August Revolution and National Day

   Tickets are handed out free at the box office, four per person for the whole run, and in return you get four days of Vietnamese cinema on the screens of the capital's largest film centre. Nine titles are on the list, across three genres: documentary, feature and animation.

   The centrepiece is the 115-minute documentary «Người viết Quốc ca» - «The man who wrote the anthem» - directed by Đặng Linh and produced by the Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio. It follows the life and work of the composer Văn Cao, author of «Tiến quân ca», the song chosen as Vietnam's national anthem. Beyond the milestones around the anthem's birth, the film goes into the artist's inner world and the sources of his writing.

   The essentials:

• — the season runs four days, 27 to 30 August
• — admission is free; tickets are issued at the centre's box office
• — a maximum of 4 tickets per person for the entire season
• — documentaries: «Người viết Quốc ca», «Tiếng chiêng xa», «Trường Lưu một miền di sản»
• — feature: «Ký ức Nam Xuân»
• — animation: «Người bạn đồng hành», «Cây cầu của chúng ta», «Ảo ảnh», «Sắc màu của núi», «Cuộc hồi hương kỳ diệu»

   Five animated titles make the season workable for families: children have their own share of the programme while adults get a full documentary strand. All three genres retrace historical landmarks and the landscape of the country in the language of cinema.

   It suits families with children, documentary lovers and you, if a cinema hall appeals more than the crowds outside during the holidays. If you plan to go, collect the tickets early: they are issued only at the desk, and the four-ticket limit covers the whole run.

   All the films are Vietnamese and in Vietnamese; the organisers have announced no subtitles. The animated part carries its stories mostly through images, so language is not a barrier for younger viewers.

   Four days, nine films and not a single paid ticket - for a National Day week that is a straightforward offer.