Exhibition on Vietnamese army and people’s spirit opens

An exhibition entitled ‘Âm vang lời thề quyết tử’ (Determined to Die for the Country) opened yesterday at the Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi.

More than 300 images, artifacts and documents are on display, featuring the Vietnamese army and people’s fighting spirit during Vietnam's two resistance wars for independence against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, as well as in the process of national construction and defence.

The exhibition marking the 65th anniversary of National Resistance Day (December 19), the 67th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22) and the 22th anniversary of the People’s National Defence Day (also December 22), will last through February 2012.

Targeting a Renovated and Integrated Vietnamese Cinema

The 17th Vietnam Film Festival (VFF), co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Phu Yen provincial People’s Committee, opens tonight in Tuy Hoa city. The well-prepared organisation aims to provide a good opportunity for those working in “the seventh art” to review the four-decade legacy of the festival itself (1971-2011).

Under the theme ‘For a Renovated and Integrated Vietnamese Cinema’, the four-day festival will bring together more than 100 films, including 17 feature films, five videos, 10 celluloid documentaries, 52 video documentaries, eight scientific films and 16 animated films produced by 30 film studios across the country. The feature film category is always very popular with the audience so the competition among the 17 candidates at the festival will be interesting to follow.

In addition to award winning films on historical themes produced by State-owned facilities such as ‘Long Thanh Cam Gia Ca’ (The Fate of a Songstress in Thang Long), ‘Nhin Ra Bien Ca’ (Look at the Sea), ‘Tay Son Hao Kiet’ (Tay Son Heroes), and ‘Mui Co Chay' (The Smell of Burned Grass), more than half the feature films submitted this year are produced by private film studios, namely ‘Canh Dong Bat Tan’ (Floating Lives), ‘Co Dau Dai Chien’ (Bride’s War), ‘Thien Su 99’ (Cherub 99), and ‘De Mai Tinh’ (Leave It Tomorrow).

The participation of private film studios is expected to bring a breath of fresh air to the festival with different creative trends and diverse topics.

All of the entries will be screened at the Hung Dao Cinema, the Dien Hong Cultural Centre, the Labour Cultural House and the Multi-Language Room of the Thuan Thao Corporation in Tuy Hoa city.

Other films that were not submitted to the festival will also be shown on an outdoor LED screen in April 1st Square to meet the demands of cinema lovers in Phu Yen province.

The festival honours outstanding cinematographic works imbued with national identity, humanity and creativity, as well as artists who have gained significant achievements over the past year. It also introduces newly-released film works to the public while providing artists and film makers an opportunity to boost contacts, communication and exchanges with audiences. It will enable artists to exchange experiences to learn about professionalism in composing, producing and promoting their works to foster the development of Vietnamese cinematography.

The 17th VFF is one of the cultural events during the National Tourism Year – Phu Yen 2011, highlighting the southern central coastal region and advertising Vietnamese culture and national identity through cinematographic works.

The festival will also host additional activities such as an exhibition entitled ‘Four Decades of the VFF’, a seminar on ‘Vietnamese Cinematography – Situations and Solutions’ as well as exchanges between artists and soldiers in Air Force regiment No. 910, students at Phu Yen University and local people in Song Hinh town. The artists will also take part in charity events at Niem Vui (Joy) School for Children with Disabilities and the Social Sponsor Centre.

According to the organising board, this year’s festival will include three juries for feature films; documentaries; and scientific-animated films instead of four as in previous festivals.

One Golden Lotus and two Silver Lotus awards, as well as two Jury Prizes, will be presented in each category. The prize for best sounding has also been reinstated at this year’s event.

The awards at the festival are expected to go to deserving works and artists that appeal to the audiences and wholeheartedly represent Vietnamese cinema.

HCMC café to host charity arts show  

Boomarang Bistro Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City will see three days of visual and performing arts shows by Vietnamese and foreign artists.

La Vita e la Morte (Life and Death) from January 13 to 15 will feature live performances by international theater actors, dance artists, and musicians like Americans Brett Newski and Peter Hoyles, Mattia Miani from Italy, Adam Martin, Ruby Do, Yen Khe Nguyen, and actor Patrick Hughes from Australia, and Imogen Dobbs from the UK.

They will present drama, dance, music, poetry reading, and visual arts.

The play No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre directed by Filipino Jennifer Dizon will be one of the highlights.

Professional and student painters, sculptors, and photographers will contribute works depicting the theme.

Proceeds from the event and donations will go to Helping Hand Saigon, a group of local Vietnamese, overseas Vietnamese and ex-pats united in their commitment to making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged people in Vietnam.

This time’s proceeds will be used to help children with HIV and those whose parents died of AIDS.            

Boomarang Bistro Saigon is in Phu My Hung, District 7.