City lounge to play Trinh Cong Son’s love music

Two bands, May Lang Thang and Dong Xanh, will play the late Trinh Cong Son’s songs about the ladies in his life at Tieng Xua Lounge in Ho Chi Minh City tonight (August 5).

“Trinh Cong Son and his lovers” will feature 20 of his most famous songs including “Diem Xua,” “Xin Tra No Nguoi,” “Ha Trang,” “Quynh Huong,” “Nhin Nhung Mua Thu Di,” “Nang Thuy Tinh,” “Mua Hong,” and “Bien Nho”.

The lounge is situated at 442 Cao Thang Street, District 1.

Goethe Institute unveils students film contest

The German Goethe Institute in Hanoi has launched an international documentary filmmaking contest on environment for students from five Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam.

“The Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award” (SEADocs) is meant for students aged 18 – 28 in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam who have to submit a portfolio of their works and a motivational essay on making a film on “Tree[s] of Life: Seeds of Change.”

A jury of film, television, and forestry experts in each country will select three contestants who will then get a grant of US$300 and expert guidance during the eight-week production period of their film.

The films short-listed in each country will compete regionally for a grant of up to $5,000 for the first place winner to produce a feature length documentary.

The contest closes on September 2. More information is available at http://www.goethe.de/ins/th/prj/wif/sdc/apl/enindex.htm.

This year has been designated as the International Year of Forests by the UN.

Vietnamese-Thai jazz concert to mark anniversary

Jazz saxophonists Tran Manh Tuan of Vietnam and Koh of Thailand will perform in Ho Chi Minh City tonight to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

They will perform popular compositions of their own as well as others at the Opera House in District 1.

Free tickets are available at the Thai consulate HCMC at 77 Tran Quoc Thao Street, District 3 and the Sax N’ Art Jazz at 28 Le Loi Street in District 1.

Tuan is one of Vietnam’s two most prominent jazz saxophonists. In 1996 he became the first Vietnamese to receive a scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in the US.

Since graduating, he has released five solo CDs and performed and recorded with several Vietnamese pop singers. He has taught at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory.

He is also renowned for his performances of Trinh Cong Son’s songs.

Koh graduated from Chulalongkorn University and began his professional career in 1989 when he was just 16. Since then he has performed in more than 10 countries and recorded five solo albums.

Dep Fashion Show recruits models in the city
 
Dep Fashion Show (DFS) scouts are on the lookout for young models in August in HCMC, reports VietnamPlus.

This is the first time in the eight year history of the event that organizers from DFS Dep Magazine in collaboration with Le Media Joint Stock Co., and Le & Brothers Limited Co., have held a model recruitment drive for the show.

The show with the theme ‘Passion’ is scheduled to take place in October, with 100 models participating.

DFS is the first Vietnamese event to be broadcasted on the famous Fashion TV and the show was also honored at the Asian Fashion Awards.

Since its inception in 2004, DFS has gathered, discovered and promoted a number of gifted Vietnamese designers in the fashion industry. This year’s event will feature 10 designers and over 200 costumes.

Supermodel Xuan Lan, director of the catwalk, said that is was hard to find a good fashion show, in which models could perform well and convey the spirit of the event.

This year, she said, the talented young models who are selected have to try and take advantage of this platform to develop their careers. For further details and registration, candidates could check out website dep.cpm.vn or depfashion.com.

Thirty scripts in short film contest round 2

Organizers of Understanding the Heart short film contest selected 30 scripts from the 200 entries for the second round.

Each team receives VND7 million to produce their films which last from 3-10 minutes from now until August 30.

The works focus on our mental states of happiness, love, jealousy or sorrow and how the human spirit helps people cope with life’s problems as we all search for happiness.  

The contest is organized by Understanding about the Heart charity program in collaboration with the HCMC University of Stage and Movies. The awards ceremony will be held on September 15.

There is one first prize of VND10 million, one second prize of VND7 million, one third prize of VND3 million and five consolation prizes worth VND2 million each for best director, best cameraman, best script, best actor and best actress. Winning films will be screened on HTV3 channel and at the website www.hieuvetraitim.org.

Exhibition captures moments of General Vo Nguyen Giap

A photo exhibition capturing 101 memorable moments in the remarkable life of military General Vo Nguyen Giap, taken by Vietnam News Agency photojournalist Tran Tuan, was opened to the public at the Dien Bien Centre of Culture, Dien Bien province, on Aug. 5.

The exhibition was expected to attract hundreds of people, including ex-soldiers, military officers and compatriots of various ethnic origins in Dien Bien province.

The 101 photos were a gift from Tran Tuan to express his admiration to the General and also to congratulate him on his upcoming 101st birthday. Tuan had personally spent 35 years accompanying the General in all his working trips.

Tuan said, “These 101 pieces of work are the most simplistic photos about a person I have always admired. I would like to offer this photo album to Dien Bien province, recording the moments of a model Vietnamese who has always been dynamic in all social activities, in both war time and peace time, with family and friends, with fellow comrades and companions, on national and international ground.”

The photographer noted that with the photos, the people of the heroic Dien Bien Phu province would always remember the image of the General whose name has been permanently associated with this geographic location in national and international history.

Amongst the visitors, a former soldier in the battle of Dien Bien, Nguyen Sinh Dung, who is now 80 years old, shared his memories. “In 1953, I met the General while participating in the construction of a fortress for the battle in Muong Phang. Looking at these photos reminds us of our lives during war and during the battle of Dien Bien. These photos are a piece of art which Tran Tuan must have worked very hard to capture. We are very happy and very proud of these photos, especially when the photographer chose to leave this precious album to the people of Dien Bien, so that we could frequently contemplate the image of the General.”

This is the fifth exhibition after those in the capital Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City , Da Nang and Dong Hoi-Quang Binh, which is the birth place of the General.

Within the 101 photos of Tran Tuan, visitors pay a particular interest to those taken during the trip of the General to Dien Bien to visit the old battlefield and to meet with compatriots in the province.

The organisational board of the exhibition in Dien Bien said the historic photo exhibition would be shown until August 8 at the Centre of Culture. It will be moved to the museum of history of Dien Bien Phu , to be displayed and preserved.

Vietnam’s rich culture spotlighted in Italy

Vietnam’s rich culture is being introduced for the first time at the Fortenzza Summer Fair, which takes place in the Italian city of Florence from July 21 to August 15.

At the event, the Italy - Vietnam Friendship Association in Tuscany region and the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy promoted the image of Vietnam’s country, people and culinary culture through traditional handicrafts, documents, photos and some popular dishes.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Italy also hosted a seminar to present potentials and cooperation opportunities in Vietnam to Italian businesses.

Addressing the event, Italy - Vietnam Friendship Association President Carla Donati said that this event contributes to popularising Vietnam’s images and promoting friendship between Italy and Vietnam.

This annual event aims to popularise images, tourism and trade potentials, culture and people of Florence city in general and Tuscany region in particular.

It also saw the participation of representatives from Brazil, Argentina, Tunisia and India.

Three Irish artists to perform in Vietnam

Three Irish artists, including famous Mick Moloney, will perform together with Vietnamese colleagues at the Vietnam National Conservatoire in Hanoi on August 10.

Two instrumentalists, Tommy Keane and Eddie Whelan, will play bagpipe Uileann, flute, tenor banjo, guitar and mandolin.

Art lovers can book tickets by email to irishembassyhanoi@dfanet.ie.

Tickets are available on the 8th floor, Tower B, Vincom Centre on 191 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi.   

VND49 trillion for tourism development in Thua Thien-Hue

The central province of Thua Thien Hue has been spending VND49 trillion on 43 construction projects for its 2012 National Tourism Year.

The 2012 Hue National Tourism Year entitled Ancient Hue-New Experience will be held throughout the year to promote the province’s tourism to foreign and domestic visitors.

It will be closely held along with the 2012 Hue Festival, aimed at introducing its tangible and intangible cultural values as well as natural heritage sits to international friends.

A number of events include Charming Vietnam Gala, the second International Choir Festival, the ASEAN International Chess Championships, the International U18 Wrestling Championships will also be held as part of the Tourism Year.

The province’s tourism industry is expected to receive 2.5 to 3 million visitors and earn more than VND3 trillion, contributing 47-48 percent to its Gross Domestic Product by 2015.

Fahasa plans to run over 100 bookstores nationwide

Fahasa, a leading book distributor in Vietnam, plans to have between 100-120 bookstores cross the country, many of them in northern provinces by 2020.

The target was unveiled at a ceremony organised by the Ho Chi Minh City-based Book Distribution Corporation to mark its 35th founding anniversary of and receive the Independence Order, third class, in Ho Chi Minh City on August 3.

Selected as one of top 500 Asia-Pacific retailers by the Retail Asia magazine, listed among top 10 retailers in Asia and top 10 Vietnam, Fahasa currently has five book centres and 56 bookstores nationwide.

It has partnered with nearly 2,000 suppliers who are foreign and domestic publishing houses, book, communication, audio-visual companies and schooling equipment and kid toy companies.

The company earned a turnover of VND1.25 trillion in 2010 and expects to reach VND1.5 trillion this year.

Museum receives Spratlys coral map

A map of the Spratlys Archipelago made from coral stones collected from the surrounding sea was presented to the Ha Noi Museum yesterday.

The activity of presenting coral stones for all cities and provinces has been organised by the Naval Force since 2009.

The presence of the invaluable souvenirs will educate Vietnamese people and their descendants on protecting the nation's territorial integrity, reminding them to look towards and act in the interests of Spratlys, a sacred part of the nation.

Vietnamese horror film earns $315,000

BHD Company, producer of the local horror film Giua Hai The Gioi (Between Two Worlds), has announced that turnover of the film over 10 days of screening nationwide was VND6.5 billion (US$315,000).

In comparison with last year, this year's summer movie season in Viet Nam has started quite late, with the release of Giua Hai The Gioi on July 22.

The high turnover on July 22-31 indicates audiences were satisfied with the film, said a press release from the producer.

Giua Hai The Gioi tells the story of a beautiful music student who tried to commit suicide but fails, and ends up marrying a mysterious construction contractor. She is haunted by spirit of a young girl.

The film features actor Dustin Nguyen who was presented the Best Actor award for his role as protagonist Vo in Canh Dong Bat Tan (Floating Lives) and the Spotlight Award for his great achievements at the 5th biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival early this year.

With an expenditure of VND4 billion, Giua Hai The Gioi is the second film of Vu Thai Hoa after the TV serial Song Cham (Slow Life).

Filmmaking contest opens to youth

The Goethe Institute in Southeast Asia has invited young people to take part in a documentary film-making competition on the environment.

Entrants from Viet Nam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, aged 18-28, are encouraged to submit their portfolios and a motivational essay on making a film under the theme Trees of Life, Seeds of Change by September 2. Vietnamese youngsters should send them to the Ha Noi Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.

Based on the applications, a jury of film, television and forestry experts in each country will select three entrants who will have the opportunity to receive their guidance during the eight-week production period of their competition film.

Each person will be given US$300 to make a 10-minute documentary film in relation to the theme. Three regional winners selected by an international jury will receive a prize of $500 each.

The overall winner will receive up to $5,000 in sponsorship to produce a full-length documentary film.

The competition, named the Southeast Asian Student Documentary Award (SEADocs), aims to boost the art of documentary filmmaking in the region as a platform to engaging with pressing social and environmental issues.

PV