Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

'Longings' Brings 22 Stories by Vietnamese Female Writers to the World

Where are all the female writers?

in Film & TV

Monotonous Viet-Dubbed K-Dramas Were the Soundtrack of My Childhood

When I was growing up, my family owned a broken TV whose screen would unexpectedly go black while the audio continued to play. Turning it off and on again a couple of times would fix the problem, but it was such a hassle that sometimes we just let it be. It was stationed in our dining room, and my parents loved putting on Korean dramas when we were eating. So whenever I reminisce about my childhood, the sound of dubbed K-dramas always plays the background.

in Film & TV

On Returning to K-Drama, the Glue Bringing My Mom and Me Close Together

Before Squid Game became an international phenomenon and put K-dramas on the world map, audiences in Asian countries including Vietnam were enthralled by Boys Over Flowers, The Medical Brothers, Terms of Endearment, Dae Jang Geum — all of which are classics that we still look upon with nostalgic affection.

Khôi Phạm

in Rewind

For a Horror Film About an Ageless Portrait, 'Mười' Hasn't Aged Well

It’s undeniable that Mười: The Legend of a Portrait has left a lasting impression in the minds of a generation of Vietnamese, as the first collaboration between Vietnam and South Korea’s cinema industries. Watching this contemporary classic in 2024, however, made me realize that Mười has not aged well.

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

An Ode to Photo Booths, the Korean Trend Preserving Our Memories in Time

How can photo booths be a new trend if they’ve been around forever?

in Trích or Triết

The Life, Death and Legacy of 7 Pillars of Vietnam's Quốc Ngữ Literary Wealth

When I first started as a writer, I noticed that I couldn’t write in Vietnamese very well, despite the fact that I was born here. Most of my English vocabulary comes from books, so in order to improve my mother tongue, I began reading Vietnamese texts. The first one I chose was Hà Nội Băm Sáu Phố Phường, or The 36 Streets of Hanoi, by Thạch Lam. This book had been lying on my bookshelf for a long time, but that day was the first time I picked it up.

in Quãng 8

Thành Đồng's Music Is a Breath of Fresh Air in the Era of Overproduction

Inspired by life 's simple joys, Thành Đồng delivers a sense of familiarity, earnestness, and narrative richness with every song.

Back Arts & Culture

in Culture

[Video] Nha Trang Driver Learns Why Lessons Shouldn’t Be Done On City Streets

This video should serve as a friendly reminder that novice drivers should avoid busy streets when trying to up their skills. You probably shouldn’t be driving a fancy Mercedes SUV either...

in Music & Arts

An Interview With Jazz-Fusion Trio The Drops

Forming in 2008, with Guitarist Frederico Casagrande, saxophonist Christophe Panzani, and percussionist Tom Poor, Casagrande and Panzani sought to continue a previous partnership in a new band. After ...

in Film & TV

[Video] Short Film Perfectly Captures Slices of Life in Vietnam

Unlike some of the more pensive Vietnamese travel videos we’ve come across in the past, Oliver Astrologo’s “Reverie of Vietnam” is a short film composed almost entirely of quick and explosive cuts.

in Film & TV

New Web Series Highlights Viet Kieu Who Have Found Themselves, Success In Vietnam

“Employed Identity” is a new web series created by Vietnamese American director, Bao Nguyen, for the Center for Asian American Media and PBS.  

in Film & TV

May Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

There’s a bit of everything in store this month at Saigon’s alternative film venues, from some recently acclaimed independent films and genre classics to the two most talked about documentaries from t...

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Artist’s Spin On A Classic Piece Of Propaganda Art

Triet Nho, the artist behind the stop motion banh mi video we posted back in February, has been trying his hand at a different medium – watercolor.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Photo Tips: The Juxtaposition

When taking photos of people in a dynamic environment (and here I am talking specifically about Southeast Asia), it is very important to keep one’s photos as simple as possible. Capturing something to...

in Music & Arts

Pop Superstar Katy Perry Coming To Saigon Next Month

American pop star, Katy Perry, will be making her way to Saigon next month to attend an event organized by Forbes Vietnam.

in Music & Arts

7 Incredible 360° Panoramas Of Saigon

These spiraling photos are the work of Hồ Ý, a graphic designer who moved to Saigon in 1999.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

in Film & TV

Film Screening: March: Art Walk Presents “Ánh” and “Mùi”

Part of Sao La and Freeland’s community art project, March: Art Walk, aims to bridge the gap between Saigon’s contemporary art scene and the general public. To that end, on March 11, the project scree...

Brian Letwin

in Film & TV

This Film Beautifully Captures The Daily Life Of Vietnamese

Wander in Vietnam is not your typical Vietnam travel video as this short film’s beauty lies in its simplicity.

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer’s March Art Picks

Last month was, without a doubt, the most extravagant (artistically speaking) in the past four years; Saigon was a theatre unto itself with a variety of art shows and exhibitions. Here are some of our...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Forgotten Vietnamese Communities Come To Life At Sao La

Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai’s latest thought provoking and socially conscious exhibition, Day by Day, is currently on view at Sao La.

in Culture

[Video] Chinese-Vietnamese Gang War Erupts in Australia

Chinese-Vietnamese relations are still a bit frosty from the oilrig that caused a geopolitical fracas last year, and by the looks of it, this animosity has manifested in the diasporas of these countri...

in Music & Arts

Zelda Goes To The Gallery: World in My Mind

For his first exhibition, The World in My Mind, now on view at deciBel Lounge, Saigon-based concept designer and illustrator Hoang Trung has assembled nine medium-scale digital paintings inspired by h...

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Photographer Takes Home Grand Prize at International Photo Contest

A photo by Vietnamese photographer, Pham Ty, has beaten out 26,500 other submissions to take the top spot at the recently concluded Smithsonian Photo Contest.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.