Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Haunting Beauty in Một Mét Studio's Vintage Photography Experiments

“With the wet collodion process, when you get your portrait shot, it really cannot lie; it really reveals the story of your life on your face. You will see through your make-up, through the tattoos; there are no wrinkles, no scars that can be hidden. People really see themselves in a new light,” Hugo Armano, the assistant at Hội An’s Một Mét Studio, explained to Saigoneer. 

in In Plain Sight

At Bá Tân Bookstore, a Home for Vintage Books, Readers, and Goodness

I got to know Bá Tân Bookstore thanks to a friend’s suggestion.

in Literature

English-Language Edition of 'Chinatown' by Thuận Wins US Translation Award

The 2023 National Translation Award for fiction was given by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) to Nguyễn An Lý’s translation of Chinatown by Thuận.

in Loạt Soạt

'The Mountain in the Sea' Is a Meditation on Myths, Monsters, and the Mind

“A myth,” said existentialist psychologist Rollo May, “is a way of making sense in a senseless world.” Humans need myths and legends to survive. And they need us to survive too; it’s how we’ve learned to escape ourselves so that we can live with ourselves.

in Arts & Culture

Art Direction of Ngọt's Gieo Album Nominated for Best Package at 2024 Grammys

Over the weekend, the Recording Academy unveiled the coveted list of nominees for the 2024 Grammys. Amongst the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and SZA, a Vietnamese name stood out, much to the delight of local netizens.

in Music & Arts

In Quện's Live Sets, Đà Lạt's Everyday Corners Turn Spontaneous Stages

All attention was aimed towards the same direction, the one where an accident had just taken place. Near 24C, Hoàng Diệu Street in the city of Đà Lạt, two vehicles collided. The shock and chaos attracted the curious looks of pedestrians and drivers alike. Timely isolated percussion further enhance the puzzling scene that was captured from multiple angles. You can see the whole thing for yourself at 41:30 in “Quện Mix Nhã Nhạc Vol 5,” a recording of a live vinyl DJ set, at an old-school hair salon in Đà Lạt. This accidental cinematic moment of real-life spontaneity juxtaposed with a passion for good music captures well the spirit of Quện - Sound Collage

in Film & TV

On 'Past Lives,' Duyên, and the Complexities of Vietnamese Diasporic Identities

Past Lives left me bereft, much like how the reunion of main characters Hae-sung and Nora concluded at the end of the film — that is, without much conclusion at all.

in Music & Arts

Bodies of Work Shred, Re-Shaped at 'White Noise' Exhibition

A dystopian setting where the human body appears scattered, its parts eerily dismembered, its desires and beliefs examined by the hands of a machine is fictionalized in the “White Noise” exhibition, now on show at the Nguyen Art Foundation (NAF). Within the imagined route of an ant, the gore and glory of a distant past, once dominated by humans, slowly reveals itself.

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in Culture

The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs

"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started ever...

in Film & TV

Review: ‘Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng’ Is a Soul-Searching Mission in the Lâm Đồng Mist

On the pastures of slow cinema where Andrei Tarkovsky, Tsai Ming-liang and Theo Angelopoulos reside, Phạm Thiên Ân's debut feature, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell), has made its...

in Music & Arts

A Mosaic of Vietnam's Landscapes Through the Windows of the North-South Train

Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.

Khôi Phạm

in Rewind

1735 Km, the 2005 Road Trip Romcom That Could Have Been

In 2005, I was in middle school. I had never had a cellphone nor known what the internet was — our home didn’t have ADSL until ninth grade. Life as a fledgling pupil in Saigon revolved around homework...

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

In Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's New Novel, Saigon's Rhythms Hum in the Background

“I’m always homesick for Vietnam. To write is to return home. That's why I had to bring Vietnam alive onto the pages. I had to hear the people speak, I had to listen to the music, to the language; I h...

in Culture

An Homage to Rastaclat, the Coolest Bracelets of Our High School Years

During my teenage years when a lot of us were trying new things, I can remember certain trending items affected our lifestyle. For me, amongst the most memorable was the Hypebeast culture that ca...

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...

in Film & TV

Cannes Caméra D'or Winner 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell' to Hit Vietnam Theaters in August

Following its win at the latest Cannes Film Festival, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) will officially premiere in theaters across Vietnam next month.

in Ton-sur-Ton

Chiecquanque Breathes Life Into Patchwork to Create Unique Handmade Clothing

Chiecquanque is an independent fashion brand presenting clothing items, backpacks and bags that were handcrafted. Each item that the store carries is a one-off creation that exists on its own due to t...

Khôi Phạm

in Film & TV

A (Non-Exhaustive) Ranking of 10 Vietnamese Queer Movies in History

How would you define a “queer” film?

in Music & Arts

Ukiyo Concert to Bring Iconic Scores of Makoto Shinkai Movies to Life This July

This month, fans of Japanese auteur Makoto Shinkai will have a rare opportunity to watch the soundtracks of his hit movies come alive during three concerts in Saigon and Hanoi.

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

Vignette: How Bình Định's Nón Ngựa Gave Me Hope for the Tourism Industry

In 1964, when Đỗ Văn Lan was only 14 years old, a group of American soldiers spent six months at his family’s Bình Định home learning how to make nón ngựa. Once he learned that I am American, he told ...

in Trích or Triết

In Xuân Diệu's Tender Poetry, a Reminder to Love Honestly and Courageously

“Tenderly, fondly, Xuân Diệu held on to my wrist, caressing it up and down. Our eyes locked in affection…Xuân Diệu loved me.”

in Music & Arts

Trần Trung Lĩnh's Latest Art Collection Is an Homage to Saigon and Van Gogh

Van Gogh’s distinctive palette is perhaps one of the most recognizable personal styles in the art world, and viewers of Vietnamese artist Trần Trung Lĩnh’s artworks are sure to be amused to see these ...

in Literature

'The Shard, the Tissue, an Affair': A Short Story by Andrew Lam

This short story is featured in Volume 2 of In My Ear, Your Voice Still Flickering // Bên tai tôi, giọng người vẫn chờn vờn, a three-part, bilingual collection of works by more than 20 Vietnamese arti...

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

'The Chosen and the Beautiful,' a Queer, Magical, Asian American Gatsby Remix

“The Great Gatsby, but with an Asian American narrator and some of the characters are queer and there’s magic.” This is a fine elevator explanation for The Chosen and the Beautiful.

in Music & Arts

Cá Hồi Hoang to Disband After National Tour Marking 10 Years of Making Music

On the cusp of their current nationwide tour, indie band Cá Hồi Hoang abruptly announced that they would disband after touring finishes.

in Culture

The Hanoi Village Where Making Folding Fans Involves Every Family

One summer day, I made a trek into suburban Hanoi to Thạch Thất District. Walking along the dirt road surrounded by green maturing rice fields, I reached Chàng Sơn Village.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Art Exhibition 'Ngẫu Biến' Invites Viewers to Find Their Own Meaning

“When you write, you go inside yourself, when you paint, you go outside,” said poet and painter ng. anhan.

in Film & TV

Filmmakers Trần Anh Hùng, Phạm Thiên Ân Win Awards at Cannes Film Festival

At the 76th Cannes International Film Festival, Phạm Thiên Ân's Bên trong vỏ kén vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) was awarded the Camera D'or while Vietnamese-born French filmmaker Trần Anh ...