‘A Tourist’s Guide to Love’ Writer Inspires Emerging Talent at Hanoi Film Workshop

Film students from some of Hanoi’s most prestigious film schools participated in a film and television pitching and writing workshop on Tuesday, which featured Eirene Tran Donohue, the writer of A Tourist’s Guide to Love. This romantic comedy was filmed in Vietnam and will be available on Netflix from tomorrow. 

The workshop was mentored by Chris Mack, Netflix’s Director of Grow Creative, and Thai filmmaker Aditya Assarat, one of the co-founders of Purin Pictures, a film fund that supports independent cinema in Southeast Asia. Fifty participants, including students and professors, received useful  tips on how to pitch their ideas, what makes a good story and how to think creatively while writing a script.

Donahue, who has familial roots in Vietnam, shared her experience writing A Tourist’s Guide to Love and how it was inspired by her meeting with her now-husband in Hanoi some twenty years ago.

“This is my love letter to Vietnam,” she said.

“When you’re writing, you’re living in your own head and I want to be living in a happy place,” she added.

Mack emphasized the importance of keeping storytelling local and authentic to engage audiences. “Be authentic to your world, and I promise you the rest of the world will be engaged and will hunger to hear more about Vietnam,” he said. 

The workshop was a valuable opportunity for young filmmakers to learn from experienced professionals and gain insights into the industry. “The workshop was very important to me,” said Phuong Anh, a 22-year-old student at Hanoi University. “Usually I’d just write without really knowing what people would want to watch. Through the workshop I saw how Netflix has a very clear idea of what people want, and why it’s so important.”