Book celebrates late war photographer

The Vietnam News Agency yesterday, June 19, published a book of photographs by the late war photographer Luong Nghia Dung entitled Viet Nam Trong Anh Chop Lua Dan (Viet Nam in Flash of War).

The book includes about 200 images, including the prize-winning photo entitled Dau Phao O Doc Mieu (Exchange of Artillery Fire on Doc Mieu Hill) snapped on the Vinh Linh battlefield in central province of Quang Tri in January 1968.

Dung died in 1974 while taking pictures of the Vietnamese forces trying to liberate Quang Tri.

Vietnamese movie nominated at Shanghai film fest

A Vietnamese movie paying homage to women and starring actresses working for free has been nominated for the Asian New Talent Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Cuong Ngo’s “Ngoc Vien Dong” (Pearls Of The Far East) is a series of seven short films, each honoring Vietnamese women from different generations. It is adapted from the writings of Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, including “Trang Huyet” (Bloody Moon), “Sac” (Beauty), “Ky Su Nguoi Dan Ba Bi Chong Bo” (Memoir of a Woman Abandoned by Her Husband), “Goi Cam Le” (Cam Le Package), and “Hai Ben Nui Anh” (The Two Sides of the Photo Mountain).

The movie already nabbed “Best Music” and “Best Cinematography” prizes at the California Independent Film Festival in San Francisco in February.

Famous actresses who agreed to work without pay include Nhu Quynh, who received the Vietnamese government’s People’s Artist award, as well as Truong Ngoc Anh, Hong Anh and Ngo Thanh Van.

“Ngoc Vien Dong” premiered in Vietnam on International Women’s Day, March 8.

Now it is being screened at the annual Shanghai festival, which kicked off on June 16.

Founded in 1993 and held every June, the festival acts as an international platform to promote industry development and cooperation with the rest of the world.

This year’s nine-day film fair will showcase 280 movies, mostly from Asian countries.

Goethe Institute offers free movie screening

A free screening of the film American Movie by director Chris Smith will be at 6pm on Friday at the Goethe Institute's main hall at 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. The screening will be in English with Vietnamese subtitles.

Books on discount this summer

Many publishers and bookstores have launched huge discount sales on books to attract readers during the summer months in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Special Price on Fahasa Book Day” will be the biggest event to take place at the City Exhibition House on 92 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1 from July 5-15. The book event will bring to readers more than 60,000 titles and millions of copies at discounts of 10-50 percent. The event is expected to lure a large number of book lovers in the city and from neighboring provinces.

Fahasa (HCMC Book Distribution Company) will also offer gifts and discounts on books at Book Festivals organized in remote districts of the city. Accordingly, the company has also offered 30,000 notebooks and 200 schoolbags worth VND400 million.

On the other hand, Fahasa vans will bring books to sell in other provinces including Long An and Quang Ngai.

Sofitel Plaza to host landscape photo exhibit

Over 100 photos of the Vietnamese landscape from photographer Pham Hong Thang's collection entitled 360 Degree Panorama will be on display throughout July at the Sofitel Plaza Ha Noi.

Thang has been taking pictures since 2009, travelling around the country from Phu Quoc Island to the Ha Giang Plateau.

He is particularly pleased to show his pictures from the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands.

Visitors to the exhibition will have an opportunity to view images on an LED widescreen.

VNN/VOV/VNS/SGGP/Tuoi Tre