Russian films premiere in Vietnam

Russian Film Week 2014 is set to kick off on May 20, introducing Vietnamese audiences to the best of Russian cinematography.

Most of the films centre on the character and virtues that the Russian people exhibited during the Great Patriotic War as they fought to liberate the Motherland from fascism.

Most notable among the films is the smash hit “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears” by Vladimir Menshov which had mass appeal around the globe and won an Oscar for the best foreign film in 1980 from the American Film Academy.

The films will be screened at the National Cinema at 87 Lang Ha St, Hanoi from May 20 to 22, Le Do Cinema at 46 Tran Phu St in Danang City from May 23-25 and BHD Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City from May 27-29.

Films to be shown include “They Fought for Their Country” by S. Bondarchuk in 1976, “Hussar Ballad”  by Eldar Ryazanov in 1962, “Ivan's Childhood” by A. Tarkovskiy in 1962, “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears” by Vladimir Menshov in 1979, and “White Tiger” by K. Shakhnazarov in 2012 and “She” by Larisa Sadilova in 2013.

The film week marks the 90th anniversary of Russian film studio – Mosfilm which is the oldest in Europe and Russia.

British painter displays art in Hoi An

British painter Bridget March has opened her exhibition, titled A Week in Hoi An, at a gallery, Number 46 in Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in Hoi An city.

The exhibition displays 30 water colour paintings in different angles on the landscape and people of Hoi An city.

The exhibition will be on till May 24.

Long Bien Bridge exhibition to open in Hanoi

Long Bien bridge, which has been closely associated with Hanoi’s development and history for more than a century, will be once again spotlighted at an exhibition in Hanoi on May 18.

On display will be 112 artworks and 112 photographs by more than 50 artists from Vietnam, the US, France, Belgium, Denmark, and the Republic of Korea, featuring the bridge from different angles.

The 112-year-old bridge spanning three centuries witnessed Vietnamese people’s three wars of resistance against foreign invasion that helped change the global situation.

The French-built steel structure is now the symbol of Hanoi – the City for Peace recognized by UNESCO 15 years ago.

An Arts Talk will be held to offer the artists an opportunity to exchange ideas and introduce ways to preserve the bridge.

The exhibition will last until June 25.

Festival to honour documentary filmmakers

The third Documentaries and TV Reportage Festival begins tomorrow in HCM City.

The three-day event aims to honour documentary filmmakers nationwide and the documentaries and TV reports which focus on art and social values.

The festival will present 58 documentaries and 62 TV reports.

The festival also will organise a workshop on documentary production and broadcasting and an exhibition on TV technologies.

The festival will end on Monday.

Tech-savvy kids prove tough market for publishers

A leading Vietnamese publisher said on Thursday it was time for children's authors and comic-book writers and illustrators to focus on creating works that were educational and not just for entertainment.

Nguyen Huy Thang, vice director of the Kim Dong Publishing House said that in modern times, people, especially children, tended to live in their own worlds. He said a group of friends may sit and enjoy coffee together, but they often do not talk to each other. "Each one has his own smart phone or tablet to glue his eyes to," he added.

"Thanks to Facebook alerts, teenagers know when his friends have their birthdays, while in real life, he probably would not even remember his mother's.

Thang was addressing authors and writers at a two-day workshop as part of the Viet Nam-Denmark Children's Literature Support Project.

It aims to provide opportunities for authors and painters to exchange and share their thoughts.

Many young authors joined with experienced book editors, teachers and psychologists with a similar passion for creating works of value for children.

Project manager Le Thi Dat said books were important for children because they helped educate and nurture their souls.

"The stories should teach children to love people and animals around them, love the simple things in ordinary life, then they would love the country and their homeland," said Dat.

"Through good books, children learn how to do the right thing. They can learn more about healthy living, culture and sympathise with disadvantaged people."

Poet Huong Ly, an editor for children's books, gave some suggestions for authors at the workshop.

"When you write a story for three-year-olds, read out the dialogues and ponder if a three-year-old child would say it that way or not," Ly said. "See the world through the eyes of the children, not the eyes of an adult."

Painter Ta Huy Long said authors should continue to improve themselves to meet the demands and tastes of children, who were choosy and smart.

During the workshop, authors discussed the construction of stories and how to portray characters in comics.

They also deliberated the 2013 -15 campaign to influence authors to write better material for children, a part of the Viet Nam-Denmark project.

Writers can submit short stories for evaluation under the theme Go Cua Trai Tim (Knocking on Heart's door) for those aged 10-14 years old and cartoons themed Ngay Toi Gap (The day I Met...) for three to six-year-olds.

Artists portray mind, flesh, matter

The final exhibition – Mind, Flesh, Matter – of the "San Art Laboratory: Session 4" residency for artists, is being held at San Art in HCM City's Binh Thanh District.

To prepare for the exhibition, artists Lai Dieu Ha, Le Phi Long and Nguyen Van Du worked for six months researching the relationships between the body, mind and the physical environment.

For his work, Du used several pounds of fresh beef transported from a local abattoir that were later cooked and served with typical local flair.

The subject of violence in his works, large-scale canvasses that reveal a controlled horror in slaughter, can be seen in thick gestures of oil in red and pink, as if his brush is a knife of destruction.

Long spent a great deal of time during his residency with the remaining families struggling to eke out a living near Can Gio, a UNESCO natural reserve.

His sculpture, photography, performance and drawings refer to "the trauma of industrialising societies".

Questioning whether such suffering is determined by human genetics or social circumstances, Ha worked with industry professionals and their patients using modes of theatre, props and the dramatisation of the self, all methods used in psychodrama therapy.

As part of their residency and exhibition, the three artists will hold a talk about the trials and tribulations of experimentation with materials and the complexities of working with others in the exploration of ideas behind the Mind, Flesh, Matter exhibition.

The exhibition runs until August 7 at San Art, 3 Me Linh Street in Binh Thanh District.

Concert celebrates Uncle Ho's birthday

A concert by the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera at the Opera House next Monday will be among the city's cultural activities to celebrate President Ho Chi Minh's 124th birth anniversary.

The orchestra will play popular pieces by talented composers like Do Nhuan, Do Hong Quan, and Vo Dang Tin.

Nhuan's suite Dien Bien Phu and Tin's Tiep Buoc Theo Nguoi (Following in the footsteps of President Ho Chi Minh) will open the night.

Quan, Tran Vuong Thach, and Tran Nhat Minh will conduct the orchestra.

The concert, which will also mark the Dien Bien Phu Victory, will start at 8pm.