Veteran actor Trinh Thinh dies

People's Artist Trinh Thinh, one of the great names of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema, died at age 88 in Hanoi on April 11 after long illness.

"My father had been critically ill for the past ten years, and twice was within an inch of his life. He had been bed-ridden since 2012 as a result of a heart attack," said Thinh’s eldest daughter, Trinh Thi Hang.

The noted artist was famous for the upright, unpretentious roles he portrayed, though he was not professionally trained.

"I starred alongside Thinh in just one film Lua Rung (Forest Fire) in 1965 by Pham Van Khoa. I played Thinh's wife. I was unmarried, but he already had four daughters at that time. During our field trips, Thinh took them along. He did hard work as he acted and took care of the children at the same time," said famous actress Tra Giang.

With his rich lifestyle, gift, and hard training, Thinh set himself as one of the most senior actors in the country's cinematography.

He indulged his love for cinema beginning in his childhood, but later became a bank clerk. He began his first acting job in 1954.

In his life-time career, Thinh was usually invited to portray a rustic elderly character, or those vividly imprinted with images of Vietnam's rural areas.

Director Pham Ky Nam invited him to play a part in the first movie in Vietnamese cinema Chung Mot Dong Song (Sharing the Same River).

He was also famous due to a series of popular feature pictures, including Vo Chong Anh Luc (Mr and Mrs Luc), Chi Dau (Mrs Dau), Loi Nguyen Mot Dong Song (A River's Vow), Thi Tran Yen Tinh (Quiet Township), Vo Chong A Phu (The Couple of A Phu), among many others.

Besides these movies, Thinh was also known for his role in comedies, where his acting was described as natural.

He also caught the attention of foreign directors. He acted in a supporting role in Cyclo (1995) with Vietnamese French director Tran Anh Hung and in Indochine (1992), directed by Regis Warginer.

Thinh's funeral will be held at 2:45pm on April 15 at the National Funeral Hall, 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi.

National Fine Arts Exhibition calls for budding artists to contribute

Vietnamese citizens creating high-quality applied fine arts products during the last five years are encouraged to join the third National Exhibition for Applied Fine Arts in the capital in November.

The works or groups of works should be original and not copied from existing designs or improved from old versions and can be made from various materials including lacquer, porcelain, ceramic, gold, silver, copper, wood, and cloth. Each work should be less than 2 metres in length.

New designs related to fashion, interior decoration and graphics can also be part of the exhibition. Each participant can send up to five works for selection.

Competitors should firstly send the photographs of their works to Exhibition House 29 Hang Bai Street, Ha Noi between August 25 and August 29.

The jury will select the shortlisted entries and inform the authors to send the real works in October for the exhibition.

After the exhibition, the jury will confer three sets of prizes to applied art works, applied products, and designs.

Each set will include a first prize of VND15 million (US$720), two second prizes, three third prizes, and 10 consolation prizes.

British Council launches fashion and design competition

Emerging fashion designers are being encouraged to compete for the Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) Fashion and Design 2014 Award in London.

The country competition, launched by the British Council and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aims to celebrate young talent working in creative industries.

The candidates must present their own achievements, have an understanding of the industry and describe why they consider themselves a fashion or design entrepreneur.

The country winner will participate in a shared tour of the UK's fashion and design sector from September 10 to 17.

There will also be a specially curated programme of networking events and master class sessions which will introduce the YCE winner to peers and media experts in the UK. The winner will have a chance to engage with the UK market and lay the groundwork for future creative business collaborations.

The deadline for submitting the application is May 31.

First picnic music festival held in HCM City

Over 40,000 music fans attended Yan Beatfest, which took place in HCM City on April 12 attracting more than 80 local and foreign artists.

Yan Beatfest, organized by YANTV - the leading youth channel in Vietnam – included a variety of other entertainment as well as a shopping area.

Visitors to the event were impressed by outstanding performances by famous British singer Shayne Ward (the winner of the second series of The X Factor) and international DJ Scott Kirby.

Shayne Ward took part in an exchange programme with local fans and spoke in Vietnam in response to appraisal from Vietnamese music lovers.

Ward sang five songs namely “If that's ok with you”, “Just be good to me”, “Nobody knows”, “No U Hang Up”, and “No promises”. He also joined Vietnamese female vocalist Phuong Vy in the hit song “Get lucky”.

Well-known Vietnamese singers, such as Dam Vinh Hung, Phuong Thanh, Le Hieu, Vy Oanh, MTV band, Dang Khoi, Pham Quynh Anh, Tuan Hung, Ho Quynh Huong, Dinh Huong, Noo Phuoc Thinh, Trung Quan, and Thai Trinh also joined the festival.

Hundreds of birds twitter in Hue contest

As many as 600 white-eyed red-whiskered bulbuls, a tropical songbird native to Asia with a conspicuous three or four note call, participated in a singing contest in Hue on April 13.

The distinctive species with its whitish underparts, buff flanks and white eyes are popular with Vietnamese bird lovers because of their melodious twitter, and can often be heard in the early morning hours throughout Vietnam singing from their perches high in the treetops.

Despite the hot weather, hundreds of local people and visitors watched the birds from different clubs across the country compete for most of the day to identify which bird could sing the most notes in an allotted time.

Finally, a white-eyed red-whiskered bulbul owned by Vo Quang Cuong from Ngu Binh Hue Club of Nguyen Thanh Thung from Hue White Eyes Club emerged the winner of the competition.

The competition, part of the ongoing Hue Festival 2014, aims to promote a cultural tradition of caring for ornament birds.

Fundraising music show reaches out to the disabled

A fundraising music show, the 11th of its kind, took place in Hanoi on April 13, on the occasion of Vietnam Day for People with Disabilities (April 18).

The annual event was also to honour outstanding philanthropists, such as Most Venerable Thich Dinh Tanh who has cared for 210 orphans and the physically-handicapped at Cam Phong Pagoda in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

Those achieving life successes despite their disabilities and agony of lost parents also won praises.

Along with television reports and face-to-face exchanges, audiences were treated to a feast of repertoire by popular singers and junior dancers.

The show was a joint effort among the Sponsor Association for Disabled and Orphans, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Vietnam Television.

The proceeds collected from the event and the recent charity walk in Ho Chi Minh City, worth over 10 billion VND (476,000 USD), will be spent on free eye surgeries, vocational training and wheelchairs for people with disabilities and orphans nationwide.

Artists pay tribute to victims of typhoon Haiyan

Twenty six artists from Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines are joining in a painting exhibition, to share their sympathies and compassion for the victims of the historic typhoon Haiyan.

Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia last November, particularly the Philippines, as it became the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, claiming more than 6,250 lives.

Sau Con Bao, or After the Storm, is being co-organised by Asia Art Link and Hanoi University of Culture and features 24 large-size paintings and three installations made of steel, paper bags and cartons.

"The art collection depicts images of recovery, resilience and strength of spirit, and, most importantly, of hope, friendship and humanity," said the Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam, Jerril G. Santos.

"Many people from all walks of life have shown their concern for the Philippines by joining the humanitarian effort through sharing their resources with the affected victims. Expressions of sympathy, donations and other offers of assistance brought immense comfort and solace to many victims of this tragedy," he said.

Asia Art Link has organised five displays in Vietnam, since it was established in 2005, showcasing art works by regional artists. But this is the first exhibition that conveys a clear message that focuses more on humanity, said young artist Pham Huy Thong.

"My exhibit, Farm of Hope, belongs to the HOPE series. It displays two contrary factors: the peaceful clouds against the stormy weather," said Thong, explaining his drawing of a farmer and his buffalo ploughing a white cloudy field against the background of a grey sky.

"It not only presents the Haiyan victims' hope for a better future, but the hope of farmers who represent the poor in any nation for a better life," added the artist.

Thong also has his work, entitled The Last Leaf, displayed at an on-going exhibition in the Philippines, at which exhibits will be sold and all proceeds donated to an energy supply project for the victims.

Similar to the idea of Thong, Noel Pama from the Philippines would like to showcase symbols of the future through his oil-on-canvas, Chasing the Dreams, depicting children flying high on paper-folded airplanes.

"Children are the future of a nation. I use symbols and graphics, like transmitter graphics on a boy's head, which means children often absorb everything around them, even though it is good or bad, as they are flying to success," said Pama.

As the name of the exhibition says, the majority of works tell the story of strength and recovery, while some portray the stormy devastation in order to remind people of what happened.

"Vietnamese artist Pham Tuan Tu's painting It Went Through struck my eyes as it vividly illustrates the heart-rendering and deadly destruction of the disaster. Haiyan was gone, leaving behind deadly dolls sprawling in a place similar to a cemetery. It's scary to look at, but it's true," said a visitor, Tran Tuan Long, eyes looking at the painting framed by black and white, silk ribbons and flowers.

"I'm also impressed with the oil-on-canvas Vines by Norman Dreo. I like the graphics and the message that it conveys, that the inferno is gone and life has returned and will continue. New sprouts are rising, fish are swimming, birds singing, fisherman set sail for a new voyage and family reunion," Long said.

The display runs until April 17 at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Hanoi.

Khmer cultural, sport festival going vibrant

The fifth Khmer cultural and sport festival took place in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long on April 12-13 on the occasion of the upcoming Chol Chnam Thmay - their traditional New Year festival.

In the limelight was a Ngo boat racing competition - a traditional sport event among the Khmer community, drawing four teams from the districts of Tam Binh, Tra On, Vung Liem and Binh Minh township.

A “Tam ban” (Sampan) boat race unique to the southern region was also held for the first time with 13 teams taking part.

Notably, a traditional culinary festival of Kinh, Chinese and Khmer ethnic groups drew eight teams who competed in cooking their traditional dishes. Over 10 special dishes were on offer ultimately.

Community events like music and dance performances, photo exhibitions and folk games also entertained visitors.-

Festival honours Lang Co as world beautiful bay

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue will organise a festival on April 24-25 to introduce its Lang Co Bay as one of the most beautiful bays of the world.

Lying between Hue and Danang cities, Lang Co is one of the major tourist destinations in the central region, with luxury seaside resorts, crystal-clear water, and a diversified and rich ecosystem.

Lang Co was recognised as the 30th member of the “World’s Most Beautiful Bays” club (Worldbays Club) in 2009, and it is Vietnam’s third bay after Ha Long and Nha Trang admitted to the club.

The festival will include activities to promote economic and cultural values of Lang Co Bay, as well as its tourism potential.

VNA/VNS/VOV