Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Review: In Lope Dope's Debut Album, a Summery Fictional World Powered by City Pop
“Tình ca thành phố vịnh,” the first album by Hanoian indie group Lope Dope, might come out at the end of summer in August, but its wealth of city pop exuberance and tropical cheer is enough to power any listener through the dreary rainy season and upcoming winter.
Heartfelt, Queer and Wickedly Witty: How Poetry Collection 'Come Clean' Sparks Joy
Joshua Nguyen lists himself as many things on his Instagram bio — a writer, a PhD student, a boba snob. He received h...
On Searching for Rươi Vendor Street Calls, Hanoi's Harbinger of Autumn
Embedded in the street call of rươi vendors is the conjuring of autumn, when delectable cuisines from across the land of...
Group Exhibition 'Fiction, Fraction' Showcases 6 Artists in Diverse Visual Mediums
From August to October, art organizer Rare Sea brings a diverse group exhibition to Saigon, featuring artworks by six young artists: Lê Đ. Chung, Lê Nguyễn Minh Như, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai, Huyền Dương, Thanh Tùng (Ches) and Sophia Mai Brown.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Inside a Saigon Studio Bringing Lion Dance Costumes to Life
“This passion for lions is in our blood. Many, many kids in the past dropped out of school or quit work just to go,” said Bành Chí Hùng, owner of Saigon’s Thuận Anh Hãng lion dance costume studio.
Khôi Phạm in Literature
5 Indie Bookstores in Saigon for Those Who Are Addicted to the Scent of Paper
Most Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 2000s and 2010s probably grew up amongst the aisles of bookstores, not because we were particularly bookaholic, but because they were pretty much the only third place around with free air-conditioning.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Review: Saigon Soul Revival Returns to Familiar Inspiration on 3rd Album ‘Chốn Ta Về’
More ambitious and self-assured than ever, Saigon Soul Revival (SSR) embraces their own sound and its many influences on their latest album, “Chốn ta về.”
Phương Mỹ Chi's Latest MV Tells Eternal Love Story in Vietnam's Khmer Community
After forays into the worlds of reality TV and cinema, Vietnam’s folk pop princess Phương Mỹ Chi has returned to her roots with a fresh new full-length album, pioneered by the lead single ‘Thiên đường với người thương’ (lit: In heaven with my beloved).
Inside THE BOAT: Phnom Penh’s Floating Art Space
Last October, Phnom Penh's ambitious floating art center, THE BOAT, announced its plan to renovate a majestic but disused vessel docked where the Tonle Sap River meets the Mekong. Earlier this mo...
Readers' Picks: 20 Best Films From the Year of the Goat
We asked both our readers and regular moviegoers at local alternative film venues like DeciBel and Saigon Outcast to weigh in on the top three films from the Year of the Goat. The results are in and A...
Nuoc 2030: Inside Vietnam's Visually Stunning, Character-Driven Sci-Fi Flick
A wonderfully shot love story set in a water-logged dystopian world, Nuoc 2030 is the first Vietnamese sci-fi film produced to international standards. Filmmaker Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh discusses t...
[Photos] Photographer Captures the Last of Mongolia's Eagle Hunters
Ever since he saw a photo of Mongolian eagle hunters at 17, Palani Mohan had dreamed of documenting their story.
Vietnamese Comic Book Takes Prize at International MANGA Awards
Vietnamese comic book duo Phong Duong will take home a Silver Award at Japan's International MANGA Awards for the first volume of their series Long Than Tuong.
'Skull Island' Begins Filming in Ninh Binh, 'Fast & Furious 8' May Be Next
If you're a Hollywood filmmaker, it appears Ninh Binh is the place to be these days.
How Game Theory Explains Vietnam's Lack of Queues
You'll be hard-pressed to find a straight, orderly line in Vietnam. Sure, there are some rare places – the bank or perhaps the immigration counter at the airport – where you might find people queuing ...
How Vietnamese Cinema Is Riding the Crest of the Korean Wave
2015 was quite a year for Vietnamese cinema. Take, for instance, Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, the film adaptation of celebrated novelist Nguyen Nhat Anh's coming-of-age story: whether it was scr...
Local LGBTQ Zine Launches Crowdfunding Campaign, Call for Submissions
Vănguard, Saigon’s first-ever queer zine, is calling upon LGBTQ Vietnamese artists to submit new work for its third edition, to be released later this year.
Middle-Aged Japanese Man Dressed as Schoolgirl Visits Vietnam
We can all relate: you get home after a long day at the office, exhausted and ready to get out of your business casual. But when it comes to the standard after-work ensemble, Japanese cosplay photogra...
Saigoneer’s Picks: 20 Best Films From the Year of the Goat
Life Itself, a film about the life of the late film critic Roger Ebert opens with one of his quotes: “We are born with a certain package. We are who we are [...], we are kind of stuck inside that pers...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Photos] Preview: Nguyen Hue Flower Street
Saigon’s celebrated flower street returns to Nguyen Hue Boulevard next week to ring in the Year of the Monkey.
February Movies at Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
This year's controversial awards season is drawing to an end. With the BAFTAs and the Oscars still to come, Saigon's February program includes two long-awaited biopics, one of the most revolutionary a...
Vietnam's Hottest Tet Gift: Lucky Buddha Pears
Forget hoverboards and lightsabers: Vietnam's hottest gift this holiday season is the nature-defying Buddha-shaped pear.
Saigoneer’s December and January Art Picks
Between Christmas and Tet, everything slows down in Saigon's art world, but a few venues have still found time to put on new shows. Here is some of our favorite work from the holiday season's exhibiti...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Film & TV
City of Mirrors: A Local Filmmaker's Crowdfunding Quest
For his first-ever feature film, Truong Minh Quy spent two months waiting around for it to rain.
[Video] There Is Now a Vietnamese Cover of 'Hotline Bling'
Oh, YouTube. You have brought us such joy: from turtle sex to the “apparently” kid, countless bad lip readings to one Antoine Dodson, the entertainment never ends. And now, through the power...
Cambodia's Stunning Angkor Panorama Museum...Built by North Koreans
Last month, Cambodia opened the doors to a brand-new Angkorian attraction.
Morrissey May Play Saigon in April
Good news for everyone with a love of 1980s British indie music: Morrissey is coming to town.
Vietnamese Actress Makes Hollywood Debut in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' Sequel
Vietnamese actress Ngo Thanh Van, star of several local blockbusters including Dong Mau Anh Hung, Clash and the forthcoming film Sieu Trom, will be making her Hollywood debut next month.
