HCM City to display portrait sketches of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers

140 portrait sketches of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers of painters Dang Ai Viet will be displayed at the Southern Women’s Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on October 18.

The exhibits are selected from 288 works of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers in 24 cities and provinces that the artist met during her trans-country trip.

The paintings depict the different faces of Heroic Mothers whose sons and daughters died in the American War. The works show their happiness and their sorrow.

As a former soldier herself and a mother, the painter understands the pain the Heroic Mothers had to suffer. “They are typical images of Vietnamese women’s sacrifice and indomitable spirit. I want to save all their faces for the next generations,” she said.

“I am a lucky people. I have abundant chances to meet, talk and kiss many heroic mothers. Almost all of them have a great deep pain. I have painted while crying several times” she added.

Painter Dang Ai Viet, 62, is the wife of the late People’s Artist Pham Khac. She has travelled from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Noi for painting hundreds of Heroic Mothers across the nation.

She divide her project titled “The journey of time” into three periods. In the first stage from February 19 to August 19, she completed 24 portraits of Vietnamese heroic mothers in 24 cities and provinces from the southern province of Dong Nai to the North.

In the second phase from August 25 to February, 2011, she has drawn Heroic Mothers in Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta region.

She will paint Heroic Mothers in some northern provinces in the last step to be kicked off in March, 2011.

The project is expected to finish in September, 2011.

Asian children draw their lives

A painting contest called “Asian Children’s Artists Day Mitsubishi-Enikki 2010-2011” was launched in Hanoi on October 13.

Children aged between 6 and 12 are entitled to enter the contest, which has been co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department for Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions and the Japanese Union of UNESCO Associations.

With the theme “This is my life”, the entrants have to describe their daily lives in the form of a pictorial diary of five paintings, with a short description of each picture they draw.

The contest is aimed at encouraging children to explore their artistic creativeness and express their own understanding and experience of life.

Vietnam to open first international film festival

The first international film festival will be held in Hanoi on October 17-21, organised by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

On October 11, 90 films from 30 countries had been registered for the event.

The event aims to honour Asia’s cinematography, push for cultural exchange, and encourage cooperation and development among regional and international film makers, while introducing the latest films of stage directors in the South East Asian region.

The festival is scheduled to attract 500 delegates, including 30 Vietnamese artists.

The organising board will award prizes for categories such as feature film, short film, documentary, stage-director, actor, actress and media.

Miss Earth’s Traditional Costume Contest in Binh Thuan

The Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee approved a plan to organise the 2010 Miss Earth from November 12-14.

Events for Miss Earth will take place in Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan province, such as a traditional costume contest of 90 contestants from 90 countries and territories. The contestants will also take part in other activities, including decorating a flower picture, a parade and tree-planting to promote protection of the environment.

This is the first time a beauty pageant will be held in Phan Thiet to promote its traditional culture and potential.

Miss Earth will be held in four provinces and cities – Khanh Hoa, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Binh Thuan by the Youth Newspaper and the Filipino Carosel Production Group.

PV