Ha Noi students win filmmaking prize

The Ha Noi-Amsterdam school has beaten five other secondary schools to win first prize in a movie making competition organised by technology giant Panasonic.

The Kids Witness News contest accepted five-minute films entered by Vietnamese students aged between 10 and 15. The themes for the movies this year were communication and ecology.

The second prize went to the Wellspring International School for The Bodyguard and the third prize was awarded to Marie Curie Secondary School for their entry Light Pollution. Phan Chu Trinh's Danger from Water Spinach was awarded the best documentary.

The winning film, titled One New Message, tells the story of a group of people (including students and teachers, lovers, and a mother and son) who use mobile phones to communicate with each other rather than the traditional oral mode of communication. The film presents its theme in a fun and natural way, delivering a clear message that if people totally depend on information technology then they will become ironically less sociable.

"It is necessary to use language in daily communication as it will always be the best way to express our emotions and feelings," said Nguyen Hong Lien, the film's director and leader of the winning team.

"We came up with the idea after becoming aware of so many people predominantly using mobile phones to communicate with each other. We just want to send a message that ‘don't let messages control your life'."

It took the team two months of their summer holidays to complete the film. Previously they had attended a short movie making course to prepare them for the project.

The global Kids Witness News competition began in 2004, and Panasonic launched the Vietnamese version of the competition in 2006. The students had to make completely original films using the equipment provided.

The programme was designed to help them improve their skills using cameras and editing software, as well as their ability to work in a team environment.

"We feel much more confident when talking and working in our own group as well as with other teams," said Lien.
"We also got chance to play different roles in the project – from filming to directing to casting the film."

A member of the jury, lecturer Nguyen Quynh Trang of the Ha Noi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, said, "Making a short film was not simply an opportunity for the students to play a game. This was really hard work, requiring the young amateur film makers to show their creativity, enthusiasm, hard-work, patience, solidarity and, essentially, teamwork."

"We would like to create an interesting recreation activity for students. This is also an educational programme for the future generation to develop in this era of information technology," said Wakita Shinichi, general director of Panasonic Viet Nam, at the awards ceremony yesterday.

The Ha Noi-Amsterdam team will join six teams from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in the Asia Pacific Regional contest. This year, the regional award ceremony in December will be held in Viet Nam.

Show celebrates famed songwriter

A music show honouring the late Vietnamese composer Trinh Cong Son will be held at the School of the Arts (SOTA) in Singapore on Saturday evening.

The show will feature some of his famous songs including Loi Me Ru (Mother's Lullaby), Ha Trang (White Summer), Toi Ru Em Ngu (I Lull You to Sleep) and Diem Xua (Old Flame).

Singer Le Hieu and other Vietnamese singers living in Singapore will perform in the show.

Vietnam participates in World Police Music Festival

A delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security took part in the 17th World Police Music Festival in Japan from October 28-30.

Also involved in the event were nine police delegations from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia and the US.

On October 28, the Vietnamese delegation joined a mass parade in Ginza area-a famous commercial centre in Tokyo.

On October 29-30, art performances were held in Tokyo Disney Sea entertainment area and at Sumida concert-hall.

Quiz promotes children's charity

The Mega Mind Quiz Competition will be held every Friday and Saturday throughout November at Puku Cafe to raise funds for the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation and Ba Vi orphanage. The first competition will be on Friday, from 7-10pm.

People from different sectors of Ha Noi's expatriate community, such as embassies, schools, hotels and sports clubs, will go head-to-head to vie for a place in the grand final.

Each team comprising of four to six people will compete through five rounds of fun, general knowledge questions and brain teaser puzzles. There will be prizes along the way and the Mega Mind Champions 2012 trophy.

For registration forms and rules, please email hanoimegaminds@gmail.com. Suggested donation is US$20 per person.

Stamp set marks Vietnamese writer Vu Trong Phung’s birthday

The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) has recently issued a set of postage stamps to mark the 100th birthday of writer Vu Trong Phung (1912 – 2012).

This is the sixth centennial set of stamps the MIC has produced marking the 100th birthday of historically important Vietnamese citizens since the beginning of this year.

The stamp of 2000VND denomination was designed by Vietnamese painter, Nguyen Du from the Vietnam Post Corporation.

The stamp features the portrait of writer Vu Trong Phung on the left side and covers of his literary masterpieces on the right; namely ’Giong To’ (The Storm), ‘Lam Di’ (To be a Whore), ‘Vo De’ (Dyke Breaching) and ‘So Do’ (Dumb Luck).

The set will be available in the post network until June 30, 2014.

Vu Trong Phung was born on October 20, 1912 in Hao village in Hung Yen province, but grew up in Hanoi most of his life. He started his literary career very early, with his debut novel ‘Dut Tinh’ (Breaking Up) in 1934. Just two years later, he produced a series of novels focusing on social issues written in realist style, winning much critical acclaim. He was also named as the “Northern King of Reportage” for his many famous media reports.

He died of tuberculosis in 1939 at the age of 27. Vu Trong Phung left readers with a remarkable body of works during his short life with just ten-years as a professional, including nine novels, seven reportages, two plays, and several dozen short stories, notes, essays and translations.

Be crazy at belated Halloween party

Anyone who missed celebrating Halloween yesterday or just simply wants to expand the festive event can enjoy the Party Night of the Dead set for Friday at the Hi! Language School.

A night of ghoulish frolicking will include free beer and snacks all night as well as a special prize for the most unique costume. The party will kick off at 7.30pm and last until 10pm.

The Hi! Language School is on the 2nd floor, 285 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh District.

Women's Club hosts morning coffee

Members of the Ha Noi International Women's Club (HIWC) are invited to join an informal coffee morning held each second Thursday of the month. The event aims to makes it possible for members to meet each other, network, and find out more about HIWC activities and events.

The upcoming event will be held on Thursday, November 8, from 10am-12noon at Tan My Design&Cafe, 61 Hang Gai Street. To join in contact coffee@hanoi-iwc.com. For non-HIWC members who would like to attend, you can register as a member's guest.

French animated films to screen at IDECAF

A series of French short animated films will be screened at the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) in HCM City this month.

Eleven cartoons for adults and children over 12 will be shown on November 10 at 3pm, while the show on November 27 will include 11 animated films for the entire family.

IDECAF will also screen the French films De Vrais Mensonges (Beautiful Lies) and Tout Ce Qui Brille (All That Glitters) on November 3 and 17, and a German movie, Zweiohrkuken (Rabbit Without Ears 2), on November 20 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are VND15,000 and are available at the venue at 28 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1.

Free concert with DJ Vincent Oleg

The HCM City Antenna of the French Institute in Viet Nam will organise an outdoor electro music concert with talented DJ Vincent Oleg at IDECAF (31, Thai Van Lung Street, District 1) on November 8 at 7pm. Entrance is free.

Canadian Chamber hosts darts challenge

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam will host a darts challenge at Red Restaurant Bar Lounge on November 3. Twelve four-member teams will be invited to compete.

The competition will start at 1pm at the restaurant at 70-72 Ngo Duc Ke Street in District 1. Admission is VND300,000 per player, including food and drinks.

Conservatory hosts chamber music concert

The Song Hong (Red River) Chamber Group will present a concert featuring the String Quintet in C by Schubert and Piano Quintet in A Major by Dvorak at the HCM City Conservatory tonight.

Established three years ago, the group consists of four members, including violinists Pham Truong Son and Phan Thi To Trinh, violist Ho Viet Khoa, cellist Do Tuyet Trinh and pianist Pham Quynh Trang. They are all graduates of the Viet Nam National Academy of Music.

The performance will begin at 8pm at 92 Nguyen Du Street in District 1. Tickets are VND100,000-300,000 and can be bought at the Anh Thien Hotel, 35E Nguyen Trung Truc Street in District 1.

Short films to screen in US

The Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education (IVCE) will screen five short films from Viet Nam in the US, Tran Thang, the president of the Institute, told Viet Nam News in an email on October 25.

The Institute, a non-profit organisation founded in New York in 2000, will show the films at colleges and universities in the US from this month through December, Thang said.

As scheduled, When We Were Twenty, Hard Times for Coal Miners, Give Me a Ticket to My Childhood, The Banana Vendor's Love and Hugging Honda will play at 10 locations in New York, Washington and California.

Thang said IVCE greatly appreciated the collaboration of various Southeast Asia Studies Centres and Vietnamese Students Associations throughout the US. IVCE has been coordinating valuable Vietnamese cultural programming, including traditional and contemporary music performances, painting exhibitions and history seminars, for the past several years.

Vinh Long hosts amateur music festival

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long will host the ‘Don ca tai tu’ (amateur music) festival from November 15-22.

The event marks the 90th anniversary of late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet’s birthday on November 23.

It is an opportunity for artists and musicians to honour individuals and organisations who have contributed greatly to preserving and developing amateur music around the region.

Many researchers say that the art was formed when land in the south of the country was reclaimed at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

This kind of folk art is performed by local people after their daily work is over.

The instruments, namely the Dan co (also known as dan nhi), the Vietnamese two-stringed fiddle, dan tranh (also known as dan thap luc) or 16-stringed zither and the doc huyen cam (monochord), are used in this genre but nowadays the monochord has been replaced by a guitar.

Vietnam has submitted a dossier to the UNESCO for recognition of the music as an intangible culture.

VNN/VNS/ND