A unique exhibition displaying the million faces of Hanoi has opened in the city’s Old Quarter.

Fountain, a photo by Le Tuan Anh

While images of Hanoi taken on modern equipment are familiar, the show is a rare opportunity to see photos taken on classic film cameras.

The colour and monochrome photos are divided into five themes: landscape, cultural life, people, daily life, and art and culture.

All of the photos were carefully selected to ensure image quality and the content they deliver.

The exhibition aims to portray the artistic side and classic beauty of Hanoi captured by film cameras, an old method largely bypassed in the current era of digital technology. These snippets of Hanoi reflect the essence of the city from the perspectives of film camera users.

A few decades ago, classic film cameras and film rolls were familiar items for photography lovers. However, the boom in digital camera technology has gradually overtaken film as the chosen method of taking pictures.

“It doesn’t mean we have forgotten the classic cameras and that they will disappear, because they have values that digital cameras do not,” said photographer Trung Thanh.

“One of these values is the actual sentiment of taking a shot, then waiting and developing it with tender care. The finished photo is all the more special because it is the one and only reflection of a specific moment which cannot be adjusted or upgraded.”

The exhibition consists of around 100 photos taken by 30 professional and amateur photographers from Hanoi and other Vietnamese localities. They are members of the Classic Film Camera and Photography, Vietnam Film Photo, 36 Lab and Coffee-Zone 5 forums.

In addition, there are many short movie clips about life in the city that are part of the celebration. “Through the exhibition, we can feel the love of photographers for Hanoi,” said Le Tuan Anh, a member of the organising board.

“Hanoi is always attractive and inspirational for photographers with four distinct seasons, for example, the spring has a cool climate, the morning mist unfurling on the street, peach flower petals floating on the breeze; the autumn covers streets with leaves falling, the alternating sun shimmering through the leaves. Each season has a flower blossom.”

“The familiar corners, the lively street life, the old roofs and the poetic landscape changing when the seasons shift are an endless inspiration for the photographers.”

The exhibition Film and Hanoi will run until September 3 at the Ho Guom Information and Culture Centre, 2 Le Thai To Street, Hanoi.

VNA