US Embassy funds documentary film project in Vietnam

The Vietnam Cinema Association and the Center for assistance and development of movie talents (TPD) plan to launch a project under the sponsorship of the US Embassy in Hanoi.

The project, entitled “10 months, 10 documentary films”, is set to run from February to December 2014, and aims to nurture the development of Vietnam cinema by providing guidance and other assistance for movie talents.

It is considered a pioneer project in effectively assisting young filmmakers to make their own films that do not require massive expenditure or huge investment in technologies.

Those involved in the project will learn about the process of short film making from script-writing to production, and have a chance to exchange and learn experience from famous local and foreign filmmakers.

The project deals with issues on gender equality, homosexual, women’s rights, and environment protection.

The jury includes renowned directors Bui Thac Chuyen, Phan Huyen Thu and Pham Thi Hao of Vietnam, filmmaker Julie Béziau, and French audio specialist Arnaud Soulier, and they will select the best films for awards and public screening.

Japanese culture presented in Nam Dinh City

Residents of Nam Dinh City will have a chance to learn about Japan and its culture when the Days of Japanese Culture event is launched today in the city.

Organised by the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Viet Nam, the event will feature two movie screenings and a photo exhibition.

Three films will be exhibited at the city's Student Cinema Centre at 512 Truong Chinh Street. Entry to these films will be free for the public.

The movie Robot G will be screened at 8pm tonight, while the films Komaneko and Sinko and the One-Thousand-Year Miracle will be shown tomorrow at 8:30am and 10am, respectively.

All the films will be screened in the original Japanese language, with Vietnamese subtitles.

Alongside the films, the Days of Japanese Culture programme will also feature a photo exhibition showcasing Japan's UNESCO heritage.

Titled Japanese Beauty, the exhibition opens today and will continue until February 28 at the Student Cinema Centre.

Danish architect inspired by floating houses

The structure of floating houses in Vietnam will inspire Western architecture and the sector in general, a Danish architect has said.

Hans Peter Hagens said at his own exhibition on Vietnamese floating houses in Hanoi on February 20 that Denmark’s southern region consists of towns lying along canals.

The model of floating houses in Vietnam can be applied in such towns as they are facing more and more challenges caused by rising water levels, the architect said.

Hagens said he was impressed by the people living in the floating houses he met during his two-month trip to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The exhibition reflects Vietnam’s tradition of protecting the environment for a sustainable future, he added.

The exhibition, to last until March 6 at the Danish Embassy, showcases the architect’s research outcomes of Vietnamese floating houses, including photos featuring their structure and the daily lives of local people.

The exhibition will also be held in Denmark.

Hue Festival 2014 media centre opens

The Press Centre for the Hue Festival 2014 was opened in Thua Thien-Hue province on February 20 to assist both domestic and foreign reporters during the biennial event.

The centre is equipped with computers, high-speed internet connections and cable systems for radio and television broadcasts, all of which will be available free of charge to reporters covering the event.

According to Duong Tuan Anh, Director of Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) in Thua Thien-Hue, VNPT sponsors the Festival’s telecommunications and information technology services with total funding of VND2 billion.

Themed “Cultural heritage with integration and development”, Festival Hue 2014 will take place from April 12-20.

The festival, which brings together former imperial capitals of Vietnam and other countries, will be a special cultural activity and part of the East Asia-Latin America Culture Exchange initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

During the festival, a meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA) and the AMCA Plus Three Meeting will also be held in the city.

In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of activities including exhibitions, kite flying performance, art performances, workshops, and international trade and tourism fairs.

So far 17 central and local press agencies have registered to sponsor information coverage at Hue Festival 2014.

Hoi An named a most romantic city in the world

An Indian magazine, India Times, has named Hoi An, a World Heritage Site in the central province of Quang Nam, one of the world’s most romantic cities.

The city has old world charm in abundance and world-class attractions that include spectacular beaches and resorts fit for sun-worshiping couples, the magazine said.

“One night before the full moon every month, the city turns off every single light and bathes itself in the soft glow of thousands of paper, glass and silk lanterns in all colours and sizes,” it said.

In addition to Hoi An, the other cities on the list are Paris (France), Galway (Ireland), Fiesole (Italy), Savannah (the US) and Fes (Morocco).

Stamp contest marks Dien Bien Phu victory

Vietnamese children and foreign kids living in Vietnam aged between 7 and 15 are invited to participate in a contest to learn about the historic 1954 Dien Bien Phu victory through stamps, which was launched in Hanoi on February 12.

Organised by the Central Council of Young Pioneers in coordination with the Vietnam Post Corporation and the Vietnam Stamp Association, the contest is part of the activities to mark the 60 th anniversary of the victory.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, head of the Council Nguyen Thi Ha underlined the significance of the contest, saying that it will help kids better understanding about the country’s history as well as educate them on hometown patriotism.

By answering questions related to the Dien Bien Phu victory, that put an end to French colonial rule in Vietnam, contestants can also learn about the development of stamp and present their idea in designing stamps on the subject.

Entries should be sent to the organising board before April 30. 

Central Highland province to restore Cat Tien site

The Central Highland province of Lam Dong is finding ways to restore the architecture of Cat Tien Holy Land.

It is coordinating with historians from the Ho Chi Minh City National University and the Vietnam Archaeology Institute to design a project to research the architecture of Cat

Tien Holy Land, which is located inside an archaeological site, according to Nguyen Thi Nguyen, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The project aims to rebuild a number of architectural icons at the site to save the tourist site and its development as well as the chance to research its history in the future.

It will also help throw light on a number of issues, such as dates and the hidden treasures of the Cat Tien Holy Land, that are still a matter of debate among historians and experts.

The Cat Tien Archaeological site was excavated in 1991 and recognised as a national relic site in 1998, according to information from the Lam Dong Museum.

Nguyen said: "Archaeologists have already excavated 10ha of the site, while the remaining 70ha of land on the site are still being used by the local people. Before excavations, the site had been illegally dug up by thieves searching for gold and antiques so the site's surface is disordered."

The site consists of temple towers dating back to the 7th or 8th century AD. Archaeologists, however, have found that most of its surface architecture has been damaged.

Only some traces of the 3m-high tiled wall still remain.

They remark that the 1.5m structure inside the perimeter of the land had also been built with tiles.

Nguyen said Lam Dong province had invested about 38 billion VND (1.79 million USD) to fund several constructions, including the museum to preserve, protect and display excavated relics.

Currently, the Cat Tien archaeological site has about 1,300 excavated objects, which are temporarily preserved in the Lam Dong Museum.

According to Nguyen, the province is compiling documents to propose that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognise the site as a special national relic.

Forest spotlighted in ASEAN’s environment contest

Forest and its role in dealing with climate change have inspired the winners of the festival of Photos – Reportage – Documentary Film on Environmental Protection and Climate Change in the ASEAN Community.

At an award-presentation ceremony in Hanoi on February 20, a collection of photos themed “the role of forest and climate change” by Vietnamese photographer Huynh Lam swept the first prize in the photo category.

Meanwhile, “Jungle Beat” produced by the Malaysian National Film Development Corporation won the first prize in the reportage – documentary film category.

Twenty-eight other outstanding works were also honoured.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Information and Technology Nguyen Bac Son said the event contributed to an ASEAN vision 2020 that looks to build a green and clean ASEAN.

It also contributed to forging cooperation and mutual understanding among the association’s members in the process of building a strong ASEAN Community and realising the ASEAN’s Charter, he said.

Since it was launched in July, 2013, the festival, hosted by Vietnam for the first time, received 536 photo and photo collection entries and 125 film entries from ASEAN countries.

According to Nguyen Truong Son, head of the Organisation Board, the entries had high quality, vividly introducing dynamic ASEAN countries together with their outstanding achievements in environmental protection and climate change prevention and external cooperation in the fields, and new environmentally-friendly technologies.-

Sa Pa announces plans for cultural complex

Sa Pa District's People's Committee in the northern province of Lao Cai has announced a plan to develop a culture and entertainment complex in the district.

The project will be built on an area of 41ha near Nguyen Chi Thanh Road and Hoang Lien National Park. It will be divided into three main areas including a central operation centre, an entertainment area, souvenir shop area, restaurant, guesthouse and cable car area.

The project is set up to meet the increased demand from domestic and foreign visitors.

Cambodia, biggest venue for Vietnamese tourists

Viet Nam remains the biggest market for Cambodia, with 854,000 Vietnamese visiting in 2012, an increase of 12 per cent last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia.

Following Viet Nam are China with 463,000 visitors, and South Korea with 435,000 visitors. Viet Nam had the biggest volume of visitors to Cambodia, accounting for 20 per cent of the total in 2012.

Last year, about 4.2 million foreign visitors travelled to Cambodia.

Yang Bay offers new tourist attractions

The ecotourism site Yang Bay, which is located in a valley, has introduced new services, including fish massage and photo sessions with live crocodiles to attract tourists during this summer vacation.

The 596-ha ecological park, located 40km west of Nha Trang City, will also host pig racing, ostrich riding and hot springs service to draw 400 tourists daily. Two tramcars transport tourists around the park.

Tinh da bao dung photo exhibition in HCMC

A photographic exhibition combining music and poetry themed Tinh da bao dung (Great Love of Stones) takes place from today until Sunday at 92 Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Binh Thanh District.

  This year’s event features 12 pictures of stones and rocks by photographers Phong Domo and Luan Vinh Thai, with poems from Tran Tien Dung accompanied by music from composer Duc Tien.

  “Stones uphold the pure beauty from rough to smooth in nature; and the devastation of faraway islands, soaring mountains and humans becoming trapped in petty and disloyal love for good,” said Tien.

  In addition to the exhibition, performances by many artists joining the event will be included. The exhibition opens at 10 a.m. today.

  One of the works will be auctioned by organizers – the UNESCO Center for Culture and Education. All proceeds will go to a fund to help high school students attend the University Entrance Examination 2014.

Luong Luu Bien’s works beckon for real emotions on canvas

Around 20 paintings by artist Luong Luu Bien will be displayed at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza from tomorrow, featuring the latest works of the artists, mainly in the collection Evolution.

  Enthusiasts of Bien’s paintings will once again come across the melancholy and pain of the characters in Red Sanctuar, Breaking or Winter as well as new delightful winds in his style in some works in Ballerina, Ocean and Dancing or Love.

  Coming to the show visitors will be caught in both a melancholic and sorrowful tone that has been the hallmark of Bien’s works and radiates feelings of lightness, movement and joy. Works are impressed by the artist’s unique style which employs techniques learned by studying lacquer paintings to create mixed media works that have the effect of becoming sculptures painted into canvas.

  Bien’s pieces beckon viewers due to  their honesty and raw emotions, taking them to the sensation zone that what is being expressed comes from a real place within the artist’s psyche. Bien is not creating images for effect, but instead channeling his deepest feelings directly onto his canvasses, scenarios of alienation and loneliness, inside turmoil he experienced in the past and joy as well as happiness when he falls in love. All the feelings are real and brings reality to the paintings.

  The exhibition will run until April 20 at the hotel, 17 Le Duan Boulevard in District 1.

 Traditional lacquers and do paper introduced in France

Vietnamese artist Mai Dac Linh has opened a solo exhibition at Victoria’s Gallery in France, displaying to the French public 13 pieces made of do paper and 13 lacquers.

  Pieces made in do paper were created as Linh spent time in France while lacquers were meticulously made when he was in Vietnam a decade ago.

  Acquiring Western styles with deep Western philosophy, Linh uses the Western language to talk about Vietnamese values to French people. His lacquers boast elegant settings, emotional and harmonic with abstract language and images. Works look precious with bright colors of yellow, green, red or pink and mixed colors like Thoi gian trong tay (Time in hand), Mot minh (Alone) and Dong chay (Stream).

  People can see Western artistic beauty in the combination of traditional materials and modern styles.

  Unlike with bold colors and nostalgic lacquers, works made in do paper are depicted with brighter colors and in abstract style. Lines interlacing together look like the motions of a river.

  Linh is inspired by Vietnamese people’s perception about belief, time, family and Buddhism. Linh, then, wants to send humanity and values of old traditions and Buddhism to visitors.

  Graduating from Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1993, Linh has 20 years experience as a professional artist. He has given exhibitions in Hanoi and Beijing.

  The show will run until the end of this month.

Vietnamese artist reaches Melusina final

Vietnamese artist Mai Thu Van is one of three finalists who have designed sculptures of the legendary Melusina statue in Luxembourg with the public able to cast their votes on the winning design from now until Sunday.

  The winning work representing the folklore figure Melusine will be installed along the River Alzette in Luxembourg-Grund to celebrate Luxembourg City’s 1,050 anniversary.

  Six projects were selected from 28 entries in the first phase which was whittled down to the three finalists of Serge Ecker, Florence Hoffmann and Van. The projects are being displayed at an exhibition at the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg and on the website www.votemelusina.lu. The winning work will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday which will be determined with jury and public votes.

  Melusina is a legendary character from European folklore. Van has recreated the sitting posture of Melusina metaphorically. Her elegant posture is solely made from cut and bended thin metal sheets, creating an overwhelming beauty. The sphere of the work symbolizes the full moon or bright pearls which are representive of her teardrops.

HCMC Television launches HTV Awards

HCMC Television has launched the eighth HTV Awards to honor the best TV and stage actors, comedians and cai luong artists in 2013.

  Awards will be presented to the Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Female and Male Singers, Best Female and Male Comedians and Best Male and Female cai luong artists. Nominees are required to have appeared in HTV programs in 2013, are acclaimed as moral and responsible people during their career and are devoted to the television development of the country.

  Artists who have been honored twice already are ineligible. Audiences can vote for their favorite actors or singers via SMS and unlike in previous years, this year the panel will only choose three people in each category, instead of five.

  Starting from March 10 until April 4, organizers will broadcast short video clips for audiences to update information on the artists and how to vote for them. On March 15, 22 and 29 organizers will host shows for artists to perform and exchange with audience members.

  The results will be unveiled on April 5.

 Singaporean professor to lecture on Asia’s cosmopolitan future

Professor Prasenjit Duara, director of Asia Research Institute and director of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore will give a lecture at HCMC’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on February 26 as part of the San Art ENCOUNTER talk series.

  Professor Duara will talk about the subject Asia as Network: Future of the Past. He will show how the intersection of differing cultural ideas can provide an alternate framework to rethinking the future of the Asian region’s cosmopolitanism. To Duara, historically Asia has had no strict boundaries and has been densely interconnected by trade and religion, evidenced in cultural practice with rituals, arts and crafts and informal networks which have had profound implications on the relationship between culture and society across the region. Today, there is an emerging consensus that continuing our pursuit of existing modes of production, consumption and the political economic arrangements that underpin them will endanger planetary sustainability sooner than we realize.

  Duara is a China historian and more broadly Asian historian of the twentieth century. He also writes on historical thought and historiography. Previously he was Professor and Chair of the Department of History and the Committee on Chinese Studies at the University of Chicago. In 1988, he published Culture, Power and the State: Rural North China, 1900-1942 (Stanford University Press), which won the Fairbank Prize of the AHA and the Levenson Prize of the AAS in the U.S. Duara has spoken as a keynote lecturer or distinguished speaker at over 75 institutions around the world since 1996.

  ENCOUNTER is a three-year cultural lecture series initiated by San Art showcasing eight internationally renowned creative thinkers from interdisciplinary backgrounds, who speak on contemporary developments in art, cultural theory, geography, political and social science, history, architecture, literature, music, film or new media. It forms part of a larger artistic program ‘Conscious Realities’ that is sponsored by a Network Partnership between the Prince Claus Fund and San Art. Admission is free.

Enjoy Brothers Grimm fairytale weekend in Hanoi

Hanoi’s Goethe Institute will screen four Brothers Grimm fairytales to entertain kids this weekend and take them into a world of princes and princesses, fairies and sorcerers, extraordinary animals and brave heroes.

  Mother Holle will open the program at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Marie is a friendly and assiduous girl who is always willing to help others while Luise is lazy and egotistic. After jumping into a well and falling into a magical land, Marie meets Mother Holle and experiences wonderful things which infuriates Luise. This is followed by Puss in Boots at 4:30 p.m. Youngest son Hans has just inherited a cat called Minkus after his father, a miller dies, while one brother gets the mill and another a donkey. Hans is buoyed when Minkus starts to speak and begins to turn his master’s life around.

  Sunday will feature Frog King at 3 p.m. which recounts the story of beautiful princess Sophie who drops her favorite golden ball into a pond on her 18th birthday and she forgets a promise with a frog who gives her the ball back. Finally, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., kids will be taken into the world of Snow White. We follow the princess Snow White who has to run away from her jealous and evil stepmother and comes across her saviours in the form of seven dwarfs in the forest.

  Admission is free. The Goethe Institute is located at 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Hanoi.

New statue of President Ho Chi Minh to be built

Leaders at the 9th Party Congress of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee’s Executive Board announced on February 20 a statue of President Ho Chi Minh will be built at Ho Chi Minh City Political Administration Center.

The winning design for the statue of President Ho Chi Minh was selected from 32 submissions of a design contest launched a few months ago.

The bronze statue will be placed in the square in front of the municipal People’s Committee office towards Nha Rong Wharf, also known as Dragon House Wharf.

"A ceremony for the erection of the statue is scheduled for 2015 marking President Ho Chi Minh's 125th birthday and 40th anniversary of the liberation of the South", said Mr Nguyen Van Dua, vice standing secretary of the HCMC Party Committee.

Painting exhibitions in February

An art exhibition featuring works by local and foreign painters is open for display at Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum.

Artists showcased in the exhibition include Hong Linh, Le Trieu Dien, Phan Vu, Nguyen Than, Nguyen Minh Phuong and William Thurman Naythons.

Hong Linh, Le Trieu Dien, and Nguyen Than’s art express nostalgia. Phan Vu’s art expresses deep love.

The exhibition will be open until February 24.

In related news, the “Da Lat, Colors of February” exhibition presenting 64 paintings and 17 wood statues opened at Exhibition Hall of Hoa Binh Square in Da Lat.

The art works show natural colors and ethnic cultures in the central highlands.

The event will end on February 25.

Pop star Hien Thuc marks 25 years of singing career

A concert celebrating singer Hien Thuc’s 25-year career will be held at Nguyen Du Indoor Stadium on March 1.

Singer Bach Yen and pop star My Tam will join the performance.

Hien Thuc was introduced to music at an early age and is currently a well-known artist in the country.

She was featured on stage at eight years old and became a popular child star in Ho Chi Minh City. Thuc won the gold prize at the Asian Young Artist Contest in Shanghai in 1999.

After taking a break from the music industry for a few years to raise a family, the singer returned with a new project themed “Five Basic Elements” in 2004. She has produced albums “Metal”, “Wood”, “Water”, “Fire”, and “Earth” since then.

She was also a judge in the first season of The Voice of Vietnam Kids in 2013.

Elephant race to mark National Tourism Year

Eighteen elephants and mahouts will participate in a race in Krong Na Commune in Buon Don District in the Central Highlands Province of Dac Lac on March 12 and 13.

Dinh Mot, an official from the provincial Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, confirmed this on Monday. The biennial race is one of the major festivals being organised for National Tourism Year which is being celebrated throughout the Central Highlands provinces of Lam Dong, Dac Lac, Dac Nong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum.

According to Mot, the elephant race will be held along with the buffalo-stabbing festival and river wharf offerings. There will also be home-stay services in Ban Don and trekking tours organised in Lak Lake jungles.