German journalist and writer visits Vietnam

Hellmut Kapfenberger, German journalist, writer and author of the book “Ho Chi Minh – a chronicle”, will travel to Vietnam for exchanges with Vietnamese readers from April 13 to 27. 

The writer will meet historical witnesses such as General Dong Sy Nguyen and soldiers who served on the Truong Son road, visit historical sites related to the Ho Chi Minh Trail and collect documents and material for his next book on Vietnam and the legendary trail.

Hellmut Kapfenberger lived and worked in Vietnam for seven years as a correspondent for the News Agency of the German Democratic Republic (AND) and the New German newspaper between 1970-1973 and 1980-1984.

His deep sentiments and respect for President Ho Chi Minh was evident in his book “Ho Chi Minh – A Chronicle” which was released in 2009 by the publishing house Neues Leben in Germany.

The Vietnamese edition of the book was published in May 2010 to celebrate the 120th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh and the 35th anniversary of Vietnam-German diplomatic relations.

Vietnamese fashion week in HCMC 

A Vietnamese fashion week titled “I’m a designer” featuring the latest collections of nine designers will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14-20. 

The designers are well-known names like Vo Viet Chung, Hoang Hai, Duc Hung, Kelly Bui, Chung Thanh Phong, Duy Quan, Van Thanh Cong, Duc Duy and Minh Tu.

More than 100 leading models of the country such as Binh Minh, Anh Thu, Vu Thu Phuong, Ngoc Quyen, Ha Vy, Ho Duc Vinh, Duong My Linh, Vu Hoang Diep, Kim Minh, Kim Dung, Thanh Thuc and Trung Cuong will take part in the event.

The fashion week honors insiders who have made outstanding contributions to the Vietnamese fashion industry. The event will place at the Model Club, 6 Dong Khoi Street in District 1.

Hanoi to host charity music festival

The CAMA 5 music festival will take place in Hanoi on May 28, featuring many rock and electronic musicians from Vietnam and other countries.

The event’s ticket sale is expected to raise a much needed fund to support the non-governmental organization Fauna & Flora International (FFI)’s primate conservation program that protects the nearly extinct Cao Vit Gibbon and Tonkin snub-nosed monkey.

Asian rock bands from China’s P.K.14, Japan’s Okamoto, Thailand’s The Standards, Astralia’s Ball Park Music to Vietnam’s 6789, Rosewood, Recycle, Gibbon Suburbia, Phuong Dang, Commens will rock the festival’s main stage.

Vietnamese electronic musicians DJ Tri Minh, Vu Nhat Tan will appear alongside Australian DJ Jase, Japanese DJ Slippy, French DJ Polo and others to charm Hanoi audience with their performances.

CAMA festival is an annual international music event to raise fund and support community development projects in Vietnam.

This year, it will be held on May 28 at the American Club, 19/21 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District from 13pm to 23pm.

Tickets available from May 7 come at VND 400,000 right before the show, VND 200,000 for all students, 350,000 VND for those who purchase before May 28 and free for children under 10.

Other booking details can be found at http://camafestival.com/tickets.html

Province earmarks $60,000 to protect relics

The Thanh Hoa Province people’s committee has approved a VND 1.2 billion (US$60,000) plan to restore and preserve important cultural and historical relics this year.

The relics include the temple of Founding Father Trinh Kha and Tuong Van pagoda.

The committee also allocated VND150 million (US$ 7,500) for collection, restoration, and conservation of intangible cultural heritages.

Locals to be briefed on Indonesian culture

Traditional Indonesian dancing and cuisine will be featured at a program designed to showcase a panorama of Indonesia’s culture nature this Sunday at Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth Culture House.

The program, titled “The world within Indonesia’s reach,” will offer visitors information on a wide range of topics from Indonesian tourist attractions to Indonesian schools.

The program will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on April 17 at Youth Culture House at No. 4 Pham Ngoc Thach Street in District 1.

Ministry wants $526 mln to conserve relics

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism wants VND11 trillion (US$526.3 million) over the next five years to fulfill a national target set for preserving cultural relics.

The tasks involve drafting plans for conservation of important relics and promoting their values, continuing restoration works on historical and revolutionary monuments and famous landscapes.

The money will be used to restore 50- 60 relics, upgrade 100-150 others to protect them from deterioration, buy 10-30 items every year for museums, and provide training to conservation workers.

In 2006-10, under the program, 130 relics were restored, 810 were upgraded against deterioration, 45 projects involving intangible cultural heritages were completed, and four that were recognized as masterpieces of the oral and intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO were provided support.

Ukrainian pianist to raise money for disabled children

Igor Chystokletov, a Ukrainian who used to teach the piano at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, will perform the next two Fridays to raise money for children with hearing impairments.

“Sound and voice,” organized by the HCMC Sponsor Association, will also feature performances by Vietnamese children and artists like Pham Hong Anh, Nguyen Do My Quyen, and Vo Ngoc Dieu Tinh.

Chystokletov, who has lived in HCMC for more than 10 years, obtained a master of music degree from the Odessa Conservatory in 1994.

He was invited to teach at HCMC Conservatory of Music until 1999.

He will perform on April 15 and 22 at the Conservatory’s Music Concert Hall on Nguyen Du Street.

German thrillers at Idecaf this month

The Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (Idecaf) has a treat for movie-goers this month screening two fascinating German flicks Run Lola Run and Jerichow.

Run Lola Run is an action thriller directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, and Nina Petri. 

Lola (Franka Potente) receives a frantic call from her boyfriend, Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who is trying to prove his loyalty to his gang boss, Ronnie (Heino Ferch), by delivering a shipment of smuggled goods and returning with the payment. But, after Manni accidentally leaves the bag of cash on the subway, he explains to Lola that he has twenty minutes to get 100,000 Deutsche Marks, or Ronnie will kill him.

The film plays out over three alternative-reality sequences: Lola dies trying to save Manni from the cops, Lola robs a bank and Lola wins the money gambling. It will be show at 7.30pm on April 19.

In Jerichow, following his mother’s death, Thomas (Benno Fürmann), a former soldier who has been dishonorably discharged from the army, returns to his hometown. One night, Thomas meets Ali (Hilmi Sözer), a Turkish immigrant who owns a chain of snack bars in the area.

Always suspicious of the people who work for him, Ali takes an unusual liking to Thomas. He trusts him and offers him a job as his driver and assistant.

Laura (Nina Hoss) is Ali’s restless, beautiful wife. She treats Thomas coolly, almost disdainfully. He’s the driver her husband has chosen to his friend. And her husband is merely the man she kisses goodbye in the morning - a man who goes crazy when he can’t reach her on her cell phone.

Thomas notices Laura and Ali’s strained relationship. One day, the three of them head to the beach. Thomas sits next to Laura, while Ali dances, drunken and absentmindedly, to the notes of a Turkish tune, unknowingly setting in motion a series of events that will change the course of all three lives forever.

Jerichow, directed by Christian Petzold, will be shown at 7.30pm on April 26 at Idecaf, 31 Thai Van Lung Street, HCMC’s District 1. Tickets are priced at VND15,000.