Model Kim Thi to compete in Miss Model of World 2014

The runner-up of the Elite Model Look Vietnam 2014, Pham Thi Kim Thi will compete at the Miss Model of the World 2014, which will take place in China’s Shenzen from November 10-30.

The 23-year-old girl from Ho Chi Minh City has a standard height of 1.73m, a characteristic face and impressive makeup.

Thi will also participate in the “The Look of the year 2014” modeling pageant in Rome, Italia in December.

Japanese travelling exhibition kicks off in Vietnam

A travelling exhibition “Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan” kicked off at Exhibition Hall in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 from October 31 to  November 10 and at Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District from December 12-22.

The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, in cooperation with Consulate-General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, are the organizers of  the travelling exhibition “Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan”.

Supervised by curator Ryuichi Matsubara “Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan” is an exhibition planned to mark the March 11 anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. The Tohoku region, known for its beautiful mountains and seascapes as well as its rich local culture and history, has suffered damage and destruction of unprecedented proportions.

Much was lost, and manufacturing and handicraft culture were hard hit. People in local areas affected by the disaster, however, have been working closely together to rebuild, intent on restoring peace and normality to their lives as soon as possible.

The displays present works of mingei members included Kanjiro Kawai, Shoji Hamada, Keisuke Serizawa and Shiko Munakata with various genres—ceramics, lacquerware, textiles, metalwork, wood and bamboo crafts, etc.—allowing visitors to enjoy the diverse and exquisite world of Tohoku traditions.

The works included in the exhibit present an opportunity to discover anew the high level of traditional craft techniques nurtured in the Tohoku region and the functional beauty of daily implements used since ancient times in Japan. The art and craftsmanship of these works also help us to better appreciate the folk wisdom derived from lives lived close to nature and the manual skills and dexterity cultivated out of that wisdom.

Admission is free for all visitors.

Sea and Islands Week scheduled for next week

The Viet Nam Sea and Islands Week is scheduled to take place at the Viet Nam Cultural and Arts Exhibition Center in Ha Noi from November 21-24.

The event aims to improve the protection of natural resources and the marine environment as well as to enhance Vietnamese people’s national pride of sovereignty over territorial waters and the long-term development of the sea-borne economy.

The highlights of the week will be an exhibition on impressions of Viet Nam marine tourism, and an art performance in honor of the culture of sea and island regions.

The event will see the participation the Ministry of Education and Training; the Viet Nam Coast Guard High Command; the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee; the Institute of Oceanography under the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, and Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the 15 cities and provinces across the country.

With 3,260 kilometer coastline dotted with beautiful beaches, Viet Nam is in a great position to develop sea and island tourism.

1st Israeli film festival celebrates 20 years of diplomatic relations

The first Israeli film festival in Vietnam marking the 20 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries opened at the National Cinema Center in Hanoi on November 1 and will run til 5.

The event will take place at the BHD Star Cineplex ICON68 in Ho Chi Minh City on November 6-10.

The films will be introduced to Vietnamese audiences including “Foreign Letters,” “Broken Wings,” “The Matchmaker,” “Someone to Run With” and “Something Sweet”.

“Foreign Letters,” by director Ela Their was chosen for screening in the opening ceremony. Based on the filmmaker's own experience, Foreign Letters is a story about prejudice, poverty, shame, and the power of friendship to heal people.

It is a story of Ellie, who is a 12-year-old immigrant girl from Israel. She feels lonely and homesick in the United States and then her life brightens when she meets Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age. They build friendship and identify with each other in life.