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‘My Father’s Truck’ has been selected for exhibition at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival.
The 15-minute short film directed by Japanese-Brazilian Mauricio Osaki and starring Vietnamese actors, depicts the experience of 10-year-old girl Mai Vy during a day off from school with her father and his truck.
On her ride through the rural areas of northern Vietnam, Vy is confronted by the harsh realities of everyday life in one of the country’s most disadvantaged areas.
Osaki said his original idea was to explore the generation gap between a father and his daughter. He decided to change his plans after meeting the young actress playing Vy, who left a deep impression on him.
Her sensitivity and strength are important inspirations guiding the film’s main character.
A multicultural crew shot the film in Vietnam and its entire cast is Vietnamese. There were some challenges but the production team united to successfully overcome all obstacles.
10 year-old actress Nguyen Ngoc Mai Vy, actor Bui Trung Anh, and assistant director Phan Y Ly have also been invited to join the festival.
National History Museum receives materials related to maritime sovereignty
On Feb 1, the Vietnam National History Museum held a ceremony to announce more national treasures of the museum and to receive precious materials related to the sovereignty claims of Vietnam over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.
The maps and documents affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty of Paracel and Spratly islands.
The collection, comprising 23 maps of different kinds and 10 documents in English and Japanese, was donated by Tran Manh Tuan, a local resident of Hanoi.
Tran Manh Tuan Tuan, who used to be a border guard, has pursued his hobby of collecting valuable documents and objects related to Vietnam’s islands and sea for years.
By presenting the collection, he hoped the Museum will help promote its value, especially raise public awareness of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two groups of archipelagos in the East Sea.
Museum representatives appreciated Tuan’s collection, saying experts will verify the maps and documents and display them to the public.
The Vietnam National History Museum also announced 11 national treasures being kept at the museum, including well-known Ngoc Lu bronze drum, intricately carved ceramics products dating back to the 14th-15th centuries, as well as late President Ho Chi Minh’s Duong Kach Menh (Revolutionary Path) book and his collection Prison Diary.
Japanese jazz band to enthrall Hanoians
Famous Japanese jazz collective Soil & “Pimp” Sessions will perform in Hanoi on March 2 to mark the 40th anniversary of Vietnam- Japan diplomatic ties.
Local jazz-funk band Nga Tu Mat Dien, 15 year veterans of the Hanoi performance scene, will also participate in the event. The presence of renowned French DJ GiGiMiz adds an additional spark to an already enthralling lineup.
The music show will begin at 18:00. Free tickets can be collected from February 20 at CAMA ATK (73A Mai Hac De Street, Hai Ba Trung district) and the Japan Cultural Exchange Centre in Vietnam (27 Quang Trung Street, Hoan Kiem district).
Festival honours Kitchen Gods
As part of the ongoing flower festival at the Vietnam Centre for Art and Cultural Exhibitions at 2 Hoa Lu Street, the first ever festival honouring Ong Cong (the Land Genie) and Ong Tao (the Kitchen Gods) will be held on February 3.
Early in the morning, from the famous pottery village of Bat Trang, a procession with a 1.2m tall ceramic idol of the Land Genie, a 3.5m-long carp and 12 trays of fruits and traditional cakes will wind its way with 9 palanquins to Hanoi and stop at the exhibition centre.
At the end of the procession, the 12 trays will be offered at the statue of King Ly Thai To by the Sword Lake, the Ngoc Son Temple and Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
In Vietnamese tradition, Ong Cong and Ong Tao are the most familiar and popular genies. On the 23rd day of last month of the lunar year, offerings are made to these genies.
The belief is that the genies go to Heaven and brief Ngoc Hoang (the Jade Emperor) on the life of the owner of the house where they stay, and pray for luck, prosperity and happiness for all members of the household.
On New Year's Eve, they will return to earth and resume their caretaking duties in the kitchen of the house.
On this day, subsequently called Ong Cong and Ong Tao festival day, Vietnamese people usually prepare a basin of water in which they put one big live carp or three small ones. After the ceremony, the carp are released into a pond or a river.
This custom has two meanings. First, the carp can swim well and it will pass the Heaven's gate to become a dragon. Thus, Ong Cong and Ong Tao can ride a carp (a dragon) to heaven.
Second, the custom relates to the release of animals including birds into the air, fish into the water and other creatures into the forest as a merit-acquiring deed as well as one that brings good luck.
Artists use Kitchen Gods fest to promote environmental protection
A number of artists will gather on February 3 at Hanoi’s Thien Quang Lake for the traditional release of fresh carp—the Kitchen Gods’ chariots to Heaven on the day they make their household reports before the Jade Emperor.
The artists, however, will be using plastic basins or glass bowls to transport their fish, renouncing the usual plastic bags.
They are trying to communicate the importance of environmental consciousness and encourage others to abandon using harmful plastic bags.
The street band Sign In plans to accompany the artists as they perform and collect any discarded bags polluting the lake.
Singer Ngoc Khue lamented Vietnamese rivers and lakes are often covered with waste in the wake of the Kitchen Gods Festival.
Khue hopes the artists’ activity will raise the public’s environmental awareness during the traditional occasion.
To support the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) continuing 2012 Earth Hour international campaign, BOOVironment and Action4Future has developed an exclusive Vietnamese version entitled “I will if you will”.
The campaign—restarted last November—attracted the participation of many artists, including singers Ngoc Khue, Dinh Manh Ninh, Ta Quang Thang, and Duong Tran Nghia, as well as painter and illustrator Thanh Phong.
2,000-year-old drum face unearthed in Ha Tinh
The face of a Dong Son bronze drum believed to date back to over 2,000 years ago was found on January 31 by a local resident in Can Loc district of central Ha Tinh province.
The piece, unearthed at a depth of 1 meter, has a diameter of more than 40 cm, weighs about 5 kg and was carved with many patterns and sophisticated geometric designs, Ho Hai Nam in Yen hamlet, Thuan Thien commune was quoted as saying by the daily Sai gon Giai phong newspaper on February 1.
Vice Director of Ha Tinh Museum Le Ba Hanh said it is very unique, rare and found for the first time in Ha Tinh. It is of Heger II Group, Type B, a classification named after a foundation work by an Austrian ethnographer in 1902 on the basis of relic’s shape, dimension, weight and decorative design.
Thai documentary series features Vietnam
Thailand’s national TV channel will begin broadcasting a series of documentaries introducing Vietnam’s land and people from February 2.
The series, directed by multitalented Thai artist Naowarat Phongphaiboon, comprises 40 short documentary films lasting 4 minutes each. They will be aired in primetime every Saturday.
The documentaries are part of an agreement signed in 2013 between Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Thai relevant agencies.
Naowarat Phongphaiboon, who is also a poet, embarked on a ten day tour of northern VIetnam to capture local people’s everyday life.
He said he was impressed by the industry and eagerness of the Vietnamese people he observed. “I admire the glorious tradition and history of the Vietnamese people,” he shared.
The project aims to help Thai audiences deepen their understanding of modern Vietnam’s land and people. The central and southern provinces of Vietnam will also be featured in audio programmes and printed articles.
Viet Nam makes it to Kolkata's International Book Fair
A book stall showcasing the highlights of Vietnamese history and literature took its place at India's 37th International Kolkata Book Fair which opened on Thursday.
Organised by the India-Viet Nam Solidarity Committee of West Bengal, the book stall presents special editions recounting the Dien Bien Phu Victory and other prominent historical developments together with the finest works of Vietnamese literature. It also displays valuable photos of the late President Ho Chi Minh.
President of the organising committee, Geetesh Sharma, said: "The exhibits about Viet Nam are of practical significance in introducing the country to both Indians and foreigners living in India."
The fair is expected to attract around two million visitors and runs until February 10.
HCM City opens free 3D cinemas for children in 24 locations
The HCM City on Thursday opened the third of a total planned 24 mini-cinemas at the Children's House in suburban Nha Be District.
The air-conditioned cinemas, which are equipped to show 3D films, were funded by the city to serve underprivileged children.
Doan Kim Thanh, of HCM City's Communist Youth Union, said the VND1 billion (US$48,000) cinema would expand leisure opportunities for the city's children.
"The cinema has helped children who live in poverty and those in rural areas access high-tech films. Children in Nha Be District don't have opportunities to see cinema," he said.
A similar cinema will be set up in every Children's House in the city's 24 districts.
Construction of cinemas and playgrounds began after many children complained to HCM City authorities that they had few places in the city to play.
Hung Yen Province to preserve intangible cultural heritage
The northern province of Hung Yen will undertake several activities to preserve its intangible cultural heritages, officials said at a workshop yesterday.
The preservation work will be carried out by the provincial Association of Literature and Arts, which will study and appraise the value of intangible cultural heritages in over 200 villages.
The focus will be on preserving traditional customs and festivals, folk rituals, arts and cuisine.
Preservation work has already been done for several items including some folk songs, historic sites, sculptures and other arts related to the Ly – Tran dynasties (11th – 14th century), the workshop heard.
Scholar's centenary birthday celebrated
Celebrations to mark the 100th birthday of Nguyen Khac Vien, one of modern Viet Nam's best known scholars, is held today (February 1) in Ha Noi.
Vien, who died in 1997, was one of the most distinguished figures in the Vietnamese revolutionary movement.
For many, Vien was a respected teacher and a devoted doctor to generations of Vietnamese students.
He became a paediatrician after graduating from the Paris Medical University in 1941. During his time in France, he studied and popularised Vietnamese culture and headed up a Patriotic Overseas Vietnamese movement against the wars led by France and the US in Indochina.
In 1963, he returned to Viet Nam and worked for the French-English magazine Viet Nam Studies. He also served as Director of the Foreign Language Publishing House (now the World Publishers).
In 1984, he founded the Child Psychology and Psychosis Research Centre. In November 1992, he held a Grand Prix de la Francophone and donated most of the proceeds to the research centre.
In 1997, he was awarded a first-rank Independence Medal by the State of Viet Nam, and in September 2000, he was posthumously awarded the State Prize for his book, Viet Nam, an Epic.
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