Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmark 81 and the Bitexco Financial Tower that now define the city’s skyline, new urban infrastructure like the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon’s first metro line, as well as the city’s expansion into areas like District 7’s Phú Mỹ Hưng and District 2’s Thủ Thiêm. If the west has long viewed Saigon under the shadow of war, it is clear that such a rigid frame fails to contain the Saigon of today, whose entropic inner life seems to constantly overflow; with motorbikes onto sidewalks, loud honks through windows, and rainpour over Saigon’s riverbeds.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship’s mast shivered and the hull shuddered, threatening to break it into splinters, a great whale rose from the depths. It lifted the emperor's boat and carried him and his men to safety. To thank the animal, Ánh bestowed upon whales the official title of "Nam Hải Cự Tộc Ngọc Lân Thượng Đẳng Thần," which was shortened to Cá Ông, or “Lord Fish.”
A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May
After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
Mầm in Ton-sur-Ton
Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing
We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing , a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has ...
ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...
Saigoneer Podcast: VinFast's New Electric Motorbike; Adapting Foreign Dishes to Local Tastes
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
The Children: Earnestness, Heartbreak and Acceptance on Debut Album ‘Con Duong’
On their debut album, Con Đường, the much loved Hanoi outfit bring a darker yet more mature sound that speaks as much about the depths of heartbreak and loss as it does hope.
Paintings by Artist Bui Xuan Phai on Display in London Asian Art Week
Two London galleries are displaying dozens of pieces of artwork by painters Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Tu Nghiem as part of the 2018 edition of Asian Art In London from November 5 to 9.
Vietnamese-American Writer Ocean Vuong to Release Debut Novel Next Year
Earlier this year, Vietnamese-American poet and writer Ocean Vuong won the prestigious 2017 T. S. Elliot Prize for his poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds.
[Illustrations] A Halcyon Hanoi Through Artist Pham Anh's Ultra-Realistic Oil Paintings
Living in the same neighborhood for an extended period of time can lead one to take it for granted. But it only requires the perspective of an artistically inclined outsider to make you fall in love w...
Vietnamese Actor Wins Rookie Award at Tokyo Film Festival for Role in 'Song Lang'
Lien Binh Phat has become the first Vietnamese actor to win a rookie award at the Tokyo International Film Fest (TIFF).
Kit Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 5: A Real Cold Fish
This week’s postcard is based on a real-life event: a sweet, thoughtful gesture that turned distinctly fishy.
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Take on 'The Bachelor'; Western Holidays in Vietnam; Combating Human Trafficking
Episode 33 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 11: A Steaming Bowl
When dark clouds rumble in a frequency akin to that of an empty stomach, the city transforms into a bowl of soup.
Saigon Welcomes 5 Film Festivals This Month. What Are They and How to Get Tickets?
If you’re a movie buff in Saigon this month, you’re extremely lucky because a handful of film festivals will happen concurrently.
[Illustrations] Polish Watercolor Artist Captures Tokyo's Historic Shopfronts
There’s something about urban shopfronts that inspires artists everywhere to break out their canvas and doodle away.
10 Songs That Exemplify the Rise of Vietnam's Contemporary R&B/Soul Movement
In an industry where singers don’t stick to only one genre, Vietnamese R&B/Soul is often overlooked and sadly underdeveloped. While veteran artists like Mỹ Linh and Hà Anh Tuấn have occasionally profe...
[Video] Local Design Student Wins Graduation Showcase With Surrealistic Short Film
This short film might be the trippiest thing you see today.
Hanoi Proposes Non-Smoking Areas Around Tourist Sites
The proposal was suggested for areas such as the walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake in an effort to make the area more welcoming to tourists.
Saigoneer Podcast: Drunk Driving and Finding Phong's Depiction of Transgender Vietnamese
Episode 32 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
In Saigon's Latest Indie Workshop, a Heaven for Eco-Friendly Risograph Prints
Nestled above inpages in Thao Dien, a new print studio is offering artists and other creatives a new way to express their ideas and visions.
Vietnamese Silk Painting From 1935 Sold for €440,000 at Paris Auction
A painting by renowned Vietnamese artist Nguyen Nam Son recently fetched 440,000 euros at an auction in Paris.
Saigon to Have First-Ever Singapore Film Festival This November
The festival is co-hosted by the Singapore Film Society and Vietnamese media company RICE & Partners.
Kit Humphrey in Culture
[Photos] The Unbridled Joy of Hanoi’s Walking Streets
In a claustrophobic city where cramped houses huddle shoulder-to-shoulder and roads resemble battlegrounds, walking streets provide a rare breathing space for people used to clamor. More importantly, ...
Concert Honoring Nguyen Van Quy, the ‘Vietnamese Beethoven,’ to Take Place on October 30
No other composer since Beethoven has written as many as nine sonatas for violin and piano.
