VietNam Life Style: French

Showing posts with label French. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Cesar award winner to perform in Ha Noi

Simple setting: French actress Dominique Blanc will perform in French in The War: A Memoir (La Douleur) with Vietnamese subtitle on Thursday at Ha Noi Opera House. She has received best actress award for her part in La Douleur during the 24th Molieres theatre award ceremony last year. – Photo courtesy of French Cultural Centre

HA NOI — Actress Dominique Blanc will perform her one-woman theatrical odyssey La Douleur (The War: A Memoir) at the Ha Noi Opera House on Thursday night.

Directed by Patrice Chereau, the drama won Dominique a Moliere prize for best theatrical actress last year.

Born in 1956 in Lyon, Blanc trained at the French Drama School. She is one of France's most critically acclaimed actresses, with four Cesar Awards (the French Oscars) already under her belt.

Blanc met director Patrice Chereau while working on a production of Peer Gynt in 1981, and the pair have worked together on several successful productions since.

In 1989, Blanc won her first Cesar for her supporting role in May Fools. She also received Cesars for her supporting roles in Indochina in 1992 and Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train in 1998, while also winning best actress in 2000 for Stand-by. She also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress in L'Autre at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008.

In The War: A Memoir, based on the diary of writer Marguerite Duras, Blanc adds a unique resonance to Duras's script. Her performance style is simple, yet intense.

Blanc will perform in French for one night only at the Ha Noi Opera House on Thursday at 8pm.

Born in 1914 in Gia Dinh, near Sai Gon, Viet Nam, after her parents responded to a campaign by the French government encouraging people to work in the colony, Marguerite Duras was the author of many novels, plays, films, essays and short fiction, including her best-selling, apparently autobiographical work L'Amant (The Lover) in 1984.

The book won the Goncourt prize in 1984. The story of her adolescence also appears in three other stories: The Sea Wall, Eden Cinema and The North China Lover. A film version of The Lover, produced by Claude Berri, was released to great success in 1992.

During World War II, Duras spent a long time waiting for her husband's return from a concentration camp. She wrote a diary as a testimony of her own suffering.

The War: A Memoir is a diary that reflects a punishing absence, a threatfull waiting, despair, the shame of being alive while waiting for a loved one to survive unspeakable horrors.

Despite her success as a writer, Duras's adult life was also marked by personal challenges, including a recurring struggle with alcoholism. Duras died of throat cancer in Paris, aged 81. — VNS

Friday, February 18, 2011

French paper reviews book on 1954 battle

War of words: Pham Thanh Tam's new book on Dien Bien Phu.

PARIS — The French newspaper Le Point ran an article on Tuesday about a book on Viet Nam's 1954 victory in Dien Bien Phu by Vietnamese author Pham Thanh Tam.

War Notebook of a Young Viet Minh Soldier at Dieân Bien Phu (in French: Carnet de Guerre d'une Jeune Viet-Minh a Dien Bien Phu) was published by the France-based Armand Colin Publishing House earlier this month.

The article said that Tam was once a student at the Ha Noi University of Fine Arts who fought for the Viet Minh (Viet Nam League for Independence). Tam wrote the book after seven years at war, when he was just 22 years old, never imagining that his work would ever be published.

Tam tells readers why and how the Viet Nam People's Army defeated the French colonialists at the Dien Bien Phu stronghold.

According to the article, thousands of books have been written about the Indochina War, which ended in defeat for the French colonialists at Dien Bien Phu. However, most of them were written by French war veterans, who expressed their sorrow about the defeat in their writing.

Tam's book gives readers a chance to understand the war and the French colonialists' loss through the eyes of a solider on the other side. — VNS

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dien Bien Phu book published in France

Pham Thanh Tam's new book on Dien Bien Phu . - VNS File Photo

PARIS - The French newspaper Le Point ran an article on Tuesday about a book on Viet Nam's 1954 victory in Dien Bien Phu by Vietnamese author Pham Thanh Tam.

The article said that Tam was once a student at the Hanoi University of Fine Arts who fought for the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Viet Nam). Tam wrote the book after seven years at war, when he was just 22 years old, never imagining that his work would ever be published.

Tam tells readers why and how the Viet Nam People's Army defeated the French colonialists at the Dien Bien Phu stronghold.

According to the article, thousands of books have been written about the Indochina war, which ended in defeat for the French colonialists at Dien Bien Phu. Most of them were written by French war veterans, who expressed their sorrow about the defeat in their writing.

Tam's book gives readers a chance to understand the war and the French colonialists' loss through the eyes of a solider on the opposing front line. - VNS

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Con Dao listed in top ten best islands

HA NOI – Viet Nam's Con Dao Island has been named as one of the top ten romantic destinations in the world for 2011 by the UK's Lonely Planet magazine.

Other islands on the list were Yemen's Socotra in Yemen, Australia's Torres Strait Islands, Japan's Yacyana, French Guiana's Iles du Salut, the Republic of Korea's Ulleungdo, Panama's San Blas archipelago, Chinese Taipei's Penghu, the Bay archipelago and Hog island off the coast of Honduras and Uganda's Ssese.

Con Dao Island has a strong political and cultural history. Under the French, Con Dao was used as a major prison for opponents of French colonialism.

Con Dao National Park, one of the country's top six biodiversity hotspots for both land and sea, contains thousands of plant and animal species, and provides a range of eco-tourism options.

The island is home to playful black and brown squirrels, many species of native and migratory birds, and even endangered marine animals like the sea cow, green turtle and hawk's bill turtle.

According to the Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist), in the wedding season this year Con Dao was one of the most popular honeymoon destinations for young couples. – VNS

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Ceremony honours revolutionary historian

HA NOI — A ceremony commemorating the 125th anniversary of the death of historian Pham Than Duat (1825-85) was held at Ha Noi's Literature Temple on Monday, honouring his great contributions to Vietnamese people's revolution against the French colonialists.

Duat, who was born in the northern province of Ninh Binh, died on November 29, 1885, after the French had sent him into exile on the island of Tahiti.

Duat's life was that of a patriotic intellectual. Born into a poor family, he succeeded in royal exams and worked for King Tu Duc as a royal mandarin. He was put in charge of the Temple of Literature and also served as a tutor to princes. He also contributed substantially to an 1884 book of national history that remains a valuable reference source for current historians.

He became embroiled in the revolution, when he was assigned to resist a French invasion by senior mandarin Ton That Thuyet (1839-1913). Duat and his family were captured by the French in July 1885.

Ha Noi to host National Fine Arts Exhibition 2010

HA NOI — The National Fine Arts Exhibition 2010 representing Viet Nam's fine arts industry will open in Ha Noi today.

On display will be representative works from the 2006-10 period to gauge fine arts development during the process of national industrialisation and modernisation towards global integration.

More than 863 works of art by 735 artists including paintings, graphics, installations and sculptures will be displayed to reflect contemporary life and society from different angles.

The exhibition will run until December 15 at the Viet Nam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts, Hoa Lu Street, Ha Noi. — VNS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

French guitarist Manu Codjia jazzes Hanoi

French guitarist Manu Codjia, a world famous French jazz guitarist, will perform at the Tuoi Tre Theater, 11 Ngo Thi Nham Street in Hanoi at 8 p.m. on December 10.

The artist and his friends, contrabass player Jérôme Regard and drummer Philippe Pipon Garcia will take jazz fans on a passionate journey of sophisticated melodies from his latest album. They will also perform famous songs by the Jamaican musician Bob Marley and “the King of Pop,” Michael Jackson.

Graduated from the Paris Conservatoire under the guidance of Professor Francois Jeanneau, Manu Codjia began his career playing classical guitar but quickly found his passion in jazz. His first album, ‘Songlines’ (Bee Jazz) was released in 2007 and received enthusiastic praise from both audiences and critics.

He won best guitarist at the 2007 Djangos d’Or Awards, one of the most prestigious honors for jazz in Europe, and the Victoires du Jazz Award for best new instrumentalist of 2008.

Tickets are available at L’Espace Center, 24 Trang Tien St., Hanoi for VND50,000 to VND100,000.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

French photojournalist shows two decades of Hanoi

A photo of Long Bien Bridge by Nicolas Cornet at the exhibition in Hanoi that opens on November 23

French photo-journalist Nicolas Cornet is holding a retrospective exhibition of photographs at L’Espace – French Cultural Center in Hanoi from November 23 until December 10.

The exhibition, held during French Week, features 30 photos from Cornet’s latest book titled “Hanoi”. The book covers 23 years of photojournalist’s work in the capital.

Cornet’s photos of landscapes and people show how the city has changed in two decades.

He has worked with French newspapers and magazines including L’Espresso, Mare, D-La Repubblica, Le Figaro Magazine, Le Monde, Ulysse, Siete Leguas-El Mundo and Geo and published many photo books about Vietnam such as Khi binh minh lo dang (When the dawn comes), Chan dung Viet Nam (The portrait of Vietnam) and Sai Gon, mien dat mong tuong (Saigon – a dreamy land) among others. His photos have been displayed in France, Germany, Switzerland, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The introduction for Nicolas Cornet’s photo book was written by journalist Jean-Claude Pomonti who was awarded the Albert-Londres prize for his reports about the Vietnam War. Pomonti has written books about Vietnam, among them a book about Vietnamese spy Pham Xuan An named Un Vietnamien bien tranquille (2006).

Nicolas Cornet and Jean-Claude Pomonti will present a talk on the opening day of French Week at 7 p.m. on November 23.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Cross-cultural show presents French fashion

HA NOI — Hanoians will witness the beauty of French fashion when four Parisian brands present their creations in the capital tonight.

As a cultural exchange between the Ile-de-France region and Ha Noi, the fashion show will allow Hanoians a glimpse of this integral part of French culture and provide the French designers a view into Vietnamese fashion.

The French brands set to introduce their creations are Ambrym, Christophe Josse, Dormeuil, and the children's label, Charabia.

"I have a special interest in ethnic handmade fabric so I have visited some traditional villages in the North to learn about the materials that can be used for my artistic limited edition creations," said 25-year-old designer Gabrielle Gerard from Ambrym.

Five Vietnamese designers, Kelly Bui, Do Manh Cuong, Hoang Hai, Le Ha and Sy Hoang, will join the French designers to showcase their latest collections.

Veteran designer Sy Hoang will present his ao dai (Vietnamese traditional robe) collections. He will show his collections for both women and children, who he says are the "generation preserving our traditions."

Environmentally friendly materials are the highlight of Kelly Bui's collection, while crystal, feather and lace adorn Hoang Hai's stunning gowns. Young designer Do Manh Cuong will present his feminine and sophisticated creations. And finally, Le Ha will showcase her designs emphasising the activeness of modern women.

There will also be a performance combining contemporary dance and shadow puppetry during the fashion show.

The event, directed by French choreographer Fanny de Chaille and musical director Christophe Chassol, will start at 6pm at the Ha Noi Opera House. — VNS

Friday, October 22, 2010

Statues of former State leaders on display in HCM

HCM CITY — An exhibition featuring 25 miniature statues of President Ho Chi Minh and Vice President Ton Duc Thang opened at the Ton Duc Thang Museum in HCM City on Wednesday.

In addition sculptors from the HCM City Fine Arts Association sent in 26 entries for a contest to create a giant copper statue of the two leaders for installation in Ha Noi for the millennium anniversary.

Lam Quang Noi's creation won the contest and a 5.4m copper statue of President Ho shaking hands with Ton Duc Thang to congratulate him for becoming vice president of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam in 1960 now adorns Thong Nhat Park in the capital's Thong Nhat Island.

The other 25 entries are on show at the exhibition where they will remain until February 20 next year.

The museum is at located 5 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1.

Holland Village opens in HCM City Park today

HCM CITY — The Holland Village event, held by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in HCM City, will open at September 23 Park today.

The 10-day event aims to promote the culture and customs of the people and country of the Netherlands to Vietnamese, expatriates and international visitors here.

It will introduce several abiding images of the Netherlands including 12 typical houses, windmills, tulips and other objects.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy music from Holland, the country's traditional cuisine and games.

Around 15 well-known artists from Holland will show their special skills in making wooden shoes and other handicraft and fine-art products, including the art of glass blowing by well-known artist Frans Limpens.

Some of the best paintings produced by artists and visitors at the event will be auctioned, and all the proceeds donated to the "Dance4Life" fund, a fund for developing HIV and AIDS prevention projects.

The event marks the 37th anniversary of bilateral relations Viet Nam and the Netherlands.

Touch of French food and culture in HCM City

HCM CITY — HCM City's Hotel Equatorial will host a French wine and food fair that will also feature cultural events this week.

The two-day Une Balade en France opening today will showcase French heritage with wine and food producers from seven regions, including Burgundy and Champagne, bringing their products for visitors to discover and enjoy.

City wine merchants like AuA, Vine Descombe Viet Nam, Daloc, Red Apron, Bacchus Corner, and The Warehouse will be part of the event.

There will be live music by France's Bigot Swing band and some typical French games.

Tickets booked in advance will cost VND350,000 and VND400,000 at the venue. Discounts are available for group bookings.

It will be held from 6pm to 11pm today and 5pm to 11pm on Saturday.

The money collected from the games and food sales will be donated to French charity Poussiere de Vie. — VNS

Saturday, October 16, 2010

French Cultural Center to host Indochina themed discussion

A postcard of Saigon-Cholon in the early 20th century

A collection of about 500 postcard depicting life in early 20th century Indochina in Jean Despiere’s “The old Indochina” will elicit a roundtable discussion at L’ Espace French Cultural Center in Hanoi on October 18.

Professor Nguyen Khac Phi, historian Duong Trung Quoc, translator Duong Cong Minh, and Vietnamese Education Publishing House’s Editor in Chief Nguyen Quy Thao will participate in the discussion themed “The old Indochina”, educing 20th century life in Cambodia and Laos and the three regions of Vietnam.

With “The Old Indochina” Jean Despierre wished to introduce its readers to the visual richness and uniqueness of life in Le Tonkin (Vietnam’s North), L’Annam (Vietnam’s central region), La Cochinchine (Vietnam’s Southern region), Le Cambodge (Cambodia) and Le Laos (Laos).

The name “Indochina” first appeared in “World Mathematical, Physical and Political Geography” a multi-volume cartographic collection by Danish-French geographer and journalist Conrad Malte Bruun (1775-1826) published in 1804. The 12th volume refers to Indochina as comprising Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

The discussion is free and open to the public at L’Espace-French Cultural Center at 24, Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Hanoi wine waiter wins national contest

Tran Trong Hai Ha from Green Tangerine Restaurant in Hanoi – winner of The Best Vietnamese Sommelier Competition of French Wines 2010 – identifies different wines in the finals - Photo: Trung Chau

A wine waiter from the Green Tangerine Restaurant in Hanoi won the national French wine waiter championships at Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers on Friday.

The winner, Tran Trong Hai Ha from Hanoi, will join second place-getter, Mai Tran Hanh, from The Deck Restaurant in HCMC to represent Vietnam in the Southeast Asia sommelier competition for French wines in Thailand in November. Ha also won a trip to tour the vineyards of France.

The contest was organized by Sopexa, which is the French food and wines PR and communications agency, with Saigontourist Hospitality College and Saigon Bartender Sommelier Guild (SBSG).

Ha and Hanh beat five others in the national finals which had sections including - identifying names and characters of French wines; serving champagne and wines for a five-person table; and consulting suitable menus for diners. Some members of the judging board were from international bartender and sommelier clubs.

Vo Tan Si, chairman of SBSG, said the competition in its second year is organized annually for Vietnamese wine waiters to improve their skills and experience.

Si said the contest would also aid the development of Vietnam’s hospitality industry and food and beverages sector as more foreign players enter the industry

“In the near future when we have built on our experience, we will add some Vietnamese wines to the competition,” he said. “This is the best way to promote both our wines and sommeliers to the world.”

According to To Viet – a wine expert, the job as sommelier that is popular in Europe only recently developed in Vietnam when restaurants and hotels began to recognize the important role that wine waiters play. He added that it is necessary to have a long-term strategy to develop the job in Vietnam besides the competition.

The winners of the South East Asia finals in November will go through to the Asian contest in Japan.

Friday, August 27, 2010

War martyr's diary published in France

PARIS — A French translation of Dang Thuy Tram's diary has hit bookstores in France. The book was printed by Philippe Picquier publishing house under the title Notebooks Found During 1968-70.

French journalist Didier Jacob said the French translation of the book provided valuable material about the war in Viet Nam.

Translator Jean Claude Garcias said he spent three years reading and translating the book into French. He had studied Vietnamese in HCM City and had lived in Viet Nam for two years.

Garcias is translating another book from Vietnamese about a child growing up in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, which will be published next year.

International puppetry festival to be held

HA NOI — Puppeteers from 12 foreign countries will gather in the capital city between September 4 and 9 for the second international puppetry festival.

Five Vietnamese puppetry troupes will perform at the festival, which is held every two years.

The performances will take place at Hong Ha Theatre at 51 Duong Thanh Street, Viet Nam Puppetry Theatre in Truong Chinh Street, Thang Long Puppetry Theatre in Dinh Tien Hoang Street and Cinema 17 Ly Nam De Street.

The winning troupe will be awarded US$1,000.

Bronze drums to enter Ha Noi in procession

HA NOI — About 100 bronze drums will be taken to Ha Noi from the central province of Thanh Hoa in a solemn ceremony this Sunday, according to Duong Trung Quoc, general secretary of the Viet Nam Historical Science Association.

The procession will take the drums from where they were cast in Thanh Hoa to tour Hoan Kiem Lake. The procession will then stop at King Ly Thai To statue before heading to the Literature Temple.

The drums will be on display there till September 3. — VNS

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Dang Thuy Tram’s diary published in French

Photo: VNA

The French version of “The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram” was published by French publisher Philippe Picquier last Friday with the title “Dang Thuy Tram – Notebooks found during 1968-1970.”

In an article announcing the publication in France’s Le Nouvel Observateur (New Observer magazine), the author, Didier Jacob, talked about the journey of martyr Dr Dang Thuy Tram’s handbooks, which were discovered by a US secret agent after he survived a battle during the war in Vietnam.

The author described Dang Thuy Tram as an enthusiastic girl who was willing to sacrifice herself for her motherland.

He said that the French version provides more information about the US war in Vietnam, which is usually presented in a one-sided manner by the American media.

The diary was translated by Jean-Claude Garcias, who previously lived in Vietnam for two years. It took him 2-3 years to read and translate it into French.

Currently, Jean-Claude Garcias is translating another Vietnamese book into French which tells the story of a child who lives in the Mekong Delta, which is expected to become available to French readers next year.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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A postcard of Saigon-Cholon in the early 20th century

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Photo: VNA

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