Lord David Puttnam, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma, and producer of several Oscar-winning movies, including the 1984 “The Killing Fields,” inspired and encouraged local filmmakers to never let go of their dreams at a talk in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.

At his talk, Puttnam, 73, shared that he has come a long way from a naughty schoolboy with bad grades who loved to read comic books to one of the world’s most legendary film producers.

At 27, while beginning a successful career in advertising, Puttnam tried his hand at  film production, where his true dreams and passions lay.

“I think drama and music are great, but I find motion pictures a real outlet for my artistic passion and dreams. Making a movie means allowing audiences to enter our lives and telling them our life stories and experiences,” shared the retired producer.

He still vividly remembers when his favorite film script was dismissed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. as worthless.

“I just forced a smile then, bearing in mind what one of my best friends had told me. He stressed that I always need a good story to tell my audience and that it will help change the world in some way. Just think, if young filmmakers don’t strongly believe in their work, how can the audience?” he said.

Puttnam then stressed that young filmmakers should be faithful to their ideas, although they may encounter hurdles on their way to realize them into films, beginning with censorship.

“To develop the Vietnamese movie industry, I think you should be able to answer these questions: How would you want people from other countries to feel about you? What should you do to showcase your cultural and everyday strengths, so that the audience can have a taste of life in Vietnam through your movies?” he pointed out.

Puttman added that the movie industry can only thrive if it allows great diversity in film genres and shows due respect to filmmakers’ “explosive” ideas.

He cited his Oscar-winning film “Chariots of fire” as an example. The film’s protagonists were inspired by his childhood hero, Alf Tupper, a character from a cartoon he used to read every night, and his favorite female track and field athlete.

Before engaging in the UK’s public policy activities and holding several key roles in education, environment, creative, and communications industries, Puttnam spent thirty years as an independent producer of award-winning films including “The Mission,” “The Killing Fields,” “Local Hero,” “Chariots of Fire,” “Midnight Express,” and “Memphis Belle.” His films have won ten Academy Awards, 25 British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, and the Palme D'Or at Cannes.

He retired from film production in 1998 to focus on public policy work. From 2002 to 2009 he was president of UNICEF UK, playing an integral role in promoting UNICEF’s advocacy and awareness objectives.

Puttnam was awarded knighthood in 1995 and was appointed to the House of Lords two years later. He has also received more than 40 honorary degrees from universities in the UK and other countries.

One of his movies, “The Killing Fields,” a British drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which pocketed eight BAFTA Awards and three Academy Awards, will be screened as part of the “Cine Friday” program at the Art House Cine to mark the film’s 30th anniversary.

The film screening will run at Hall 903, Hoa Sen (Lotus) University, 8 Nguyen Van Trang, District 1, at 7:15pm tonight, Feb 28.

Those interested can register on https://www.facebook.com/arthousecine.