Popular cartoon to come back in full

By the time “Orange” was halted after 7 episodes back in 2006, it had become a huge favorite among local teenagers.

Published on the widely read Vietnamese Comic Magazine (TTV) 13+, the cartoon features a high school basketball player in his self-discovery journey and unveils thrilling secrets behind his superb playing skills.

After its instant success, the publication was halted as the two authors had to finish their college degrees. Now in their mid 20s, Thanh Phong and Khanh Duong, who have also created other well-received comic strips and TV series for teenagers, are back with a promising complete plot.

Doctor Shine Toshihiko of Tokyo Foreign Language University said even Japanese readers who enjoy a tremendous supply of picture books wouldn’t hesitate to buy “Orange” with its insightful portrait of Vietnamese youths.

The cartoon, produced by Phan Thi Production, will be up for grabs for VND25,000 per volume next Tuesday.

600-year-old coins dug up in Quang Ninh

A collection of ancient currencies under the Ly DynastyAn antique jar containing coins dating back at least 600 years was dug up by sand miners in Quang Ninh Province in the north before some locals broke it and took away part of the cache.

Tran Trong Ha, director of the Quang Ninh Museum, said Tuesday the jar was excavated in Vinh Thuc 2 commune which used to be a port centuries ago.

The looters left behind 160 coins that the museum has identified as being from China, Japan, and Vietnam, giving the discovery historic and cultural significance, he said.

Most of the coins from Vietnam date back to the Le Dynasty which reigned 600 years ago.

It might have belonged to a Vietnamese businessman trading in the once busy port area, Ha added.

The Museum is set to do further research into them and put them on display.

Competition begins for Golden Kite Award

The Vietnam Cinema Association announced in a press conference in Hanoi on February 23 that 11 movies are scheduled to compete for the annual national film award.

The films include Tay Son hao kiet (‘Tay Son Dynasty’s heroes’), Hoa dao (Peach blossoms), Vu dieu dam me (Dance of Passion), Vuot qua ben Thuong Hai (Across Shanghai), Long thanh cam gia ca (The Fate of a Songstress in Thang Long), Khat vong Thang Long (Thang Long aspiration), Nhin ra bien ca (Looking to the sea), Co Dau Dai Chien (War of Brides), Thien Su 99 (Angle 99), Canh Dong Bat Tan (Floating Lives) and Giao Lo Dinh Menh (Inferno).

The awards categories are: celluloid feature film, TV series, video feature film, celluloid documentary feature, video documentary feature, Science Feature, Animated Feature Film, short film and Commentaries.

The movies will be screened at Fafilm cinema, Tan Son Nhat Cinema and Thang Long A cinema in Ho Chi Minh from March 10-13 and at theVietnam Film Institute, National Cinema Center and the Central Scientific and Documentary Film Studio in Hanoi from March 12 to 14. Entrance is free.

The Canh Dieu Vang (Golden Kite) national film award is a prestigious film award. Any one receiving this award will have a greatly enhanced image in the eyes of colleagues and the general public.

The awards ceremony will be held at Hoa Binh Theater in Ho Chi Minh City on March 13 and broadcast live on VTV2 and VTV4 channels.

Pioneering British DJ set to drop heavy dubstep sessions

The pioneering British DJ and producer Rob Smith, who is half of the famed production duo Smith and Mighty, will give a one-night show in Hanoi on February 25 night.

Smith has been pushing bass heavy rhythms for more than two decades.

Forming the now legendary production duo Smith and Mighty with collaborator Ray Mighty in 1987, the pair’s early releases on the Three Stripe label were influential in laying the groundwork for both the trip-hop and jungle scenes for which Bristol would become renowned.

As well as their own releases, they take production credit for Massive Attack’s first release Any Love and the Fresh Fours top ten hit Wishing on a Star.

Under the moniker RSD, Smith produces fresh, innovative bass music that simultaneously pays dues to his deep sound system roots while pushing things ever forward.

He remains firmly at the forefront of Bristol’s endlessly inventive music scene. With a staggering discography and a range of projects encompassing dub, drum and bass, two-step and dubstep, Smith has his finger squarely on the bass-pulse.

His show will start at 9pm at House of Son Tinh, 31 Xuan Dieu street, Hanoi Vietnam.

Besides the show tonight, Smith will also play at HCM City on February 26. The HCM City show will take place at Vasco’s, 74/7D Hai Ba Trung street, District 1, free entry.

Denmark-Vietnam Cultural Exchange Fund debuts

The Denmark-Vietnam Cultural Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF) for the 2011-2015 period made its debut in Hanoi on February 25.

Danish Ambassador John Nielsen said cultural development assistance is an important part in Danish development assistance to Vietnam. He said he hopes to further promote and enhance the two countries’ cooperative ties and the fund will encourage new and creative projects of Vietnamese artists and cooperation projects between the two countries’ artists.

The diplomat also revealed a plan to organise cultural events to mark the 40th anniversary of Vietnamese-Danish diplomatic ties this year.

The US$1.2 million fund will provide support to Vietnamese artists’ contemporary arts projects, consolidate cooperation between Danish and Vietnamese artists and promote mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Ambassador Nielsen is the President of the fund’s new management board.

National conference reviews progress on building cultural lifestyle

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with organisations and people from all walks of life have made great effort to effectively implement the movement on ‘All People Unite to Build a Cultural Lifestyle’.

Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Head of the Central Commission for Mass Mobilisation Ha Thi Khiet made this statement at a national conference held on February 24 in Hanoi to review the ten-year implementation of the movement.

The event was also attended by Hoang Tuan Anh, PCC member, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Head of the movement’s National Steering Committee along with representatives from ministries, sectors and centrally-run organisations.

Over the past ten years, the movement has been organised nationwide and has become a grand patriotic campaign, bringing major socio-economic achievements as well as contributing to raising people’s awareness of the significance of culture in the country’s development

The Party official also called on ministries and sectors to continue implementing the Party Central Committee Resolution on the movement and the 11th Party Congress resolution on cultural development. In the future, they should focus on mobilising and promoting all available resources to implement the movement; strengthening its organisation and operation at all levels; advancing training and the management of staff, Party members and armed forces to make them the key factor in the movement.

She asked authorities in cities and districts to increase their support and investment in order to build the cultural system at grassroots level, giving priority to providing cultural houses and sports and entertainment places in remote, mountainous regions, islands and ethnic minority areas. It is necessary to diversity the substance and means of mobilisation, matching each region’s conditions in order to raise residents’ self-awareness and promote their positive and active participation.

At the conference, delegates also discussed new ideas in carrying out the movement which have brought good results in localities as well as outlining the orientations for the 2011-2015 tenure.

Art of embroidery on show

An exhibition presenting the work of French embroidery artist Lionel Descostes has opened at L’Espace, the French cultural centre in Hanoi.

The exhibition, entitled ‘From a Stroke to a Thread’, showcases 40 handmade embroidery pieces on taffeta, made using a single-thread technique and the result of eight years’ work by Descostes in Vietnam.

’For me, eight years was a long process of fatigue and pressure,’ said Descostes. ’But I love Vietnamese embroidery and always wanted to do something to preserve this traditional craft.’

Descostes studied visual art and technique in France and decided to live in Vietnam to pursue his love for the nation’s traditional embroidery. He also hired hearing-impaired girls from local vocational training centres and trained them for six-nine months to do embroidery.

’The paintings represent my collective work with these Vietnamese girls, whom I found to be very talented and skillful embroiderers,’ said Descost at the exhibition opening.

He expressed the view that traditional embroidery could find its place within contemporary art and said that the exhibition would open a new vision for visitors on a popular but little understood artform.

The exhibition runs until March 4 at 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

Intangible cultural heritage digitalised

More than 500 scientific films and 200 moving images of intangible cultural heritages of 63 cities and provinces nationwide have been digitalised over the last eight years by the Data Bank of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups.

These materials are stored in both traditional and electronic forms to ensure their safety. Apart from the data bank, documents of the heritages are also archived at the Vietnam Musicology Institute where now keeps more than 26,000 folk songs and music of Vietnamese ethnic groups.

Meeting reviews cultural movement

The movement All People Unite to Build a Cultural Lifestyle has achieved many positive results over the past 10 years, enhancing the awareness of society of the role of culture in development, said Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Huynh Vinh Ai at a conference this week held by the ministry to review the movement.

The four-day conference opened on Wednesday with the aim of assessing a decade of carrying out the movement and to develop goals for the movement through 2015.

The conference also honoured over 500 organisations, families and individuals who have made outstanding achievements to the movement, presenting them with Labour Medals or certificates of merit from the Prime Minister or the central steering committee.

Local governments from commune to provincial levels have made the campaign a success by putting it into their documents and into reality, said Ai, noting that the campaign has included programmes to promote study, help local authorities devise creative solutions to problems, and promote cultural families, neighbourhoods and villages.

This week’s conference included an exhibition of documentary films and video clips as well as photographic images.

The exhibition also recognised the winners of a photographic contest held last year by the ministry and the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists to promote the movement. The contest received over 3,000 entries from nearly 600 photographers nationwide, each depicting social and cultural events held nationwide.

The first prize in the group category went to Lang Mien Cu Da (Cu Da Vermicelli Village) by Nguyen Thi Huyen of Ha Noi. Trinh Te Ha of HCM City won the first prize in the single category for his photo entitled Ke Chuyen (Story Telling).

Final held in annual song writing contest

The final of Viet Nam Television (VTV)’s annual song composition contest Bai Hat Viet (Vietnamese Song) will be held in HCM City tonight.

Fifteen songs by musicians like Mai Khoi, Huy Truc, Luu Thien Huong, and Luong Bang Quang will be performed for judging.

Nine of the songs entered were chosen from the four quarterly shows in 2010, the six extra songs were added by the jury.

Singers like Ha Anh Tuan, Mai Khoi, and Doan Trang will perform the nominated songs at the show.

The jury will select Best Song, Best Performer and Best Musician at the awards ceremony tomorrow, while the audience will vote for the Favourite Song of the Year and Favourite Singer of the Year.

Both the final and awards ceremony will be held at the Army Theatre in Tan Binh District and will be broadcast live on VTV3.

Vietnamese win Korean Photo Contest

Vietnamese photographers won the two most prestigious prizes at the 20th Daejeonilbo International Great Photo Contest 2010.

Huyng Cong Ba and Hoang Quoc Tuan won gold medals for their color and black and white photos “Evening Sunlight” and “Smiley on Rice”.

Photographer Dang Ba Tien of the Lao Dong Newspaper also received a certificate of Merit for his picture titled “To escape”.

In related news, a photo exhibition featuring 108 pictures by young photographer Tran The Phong is being held at the Ho Chi Minh City Exhibition House in District 1.

The photos depict the harsh livelihood and resilient optimism of Vietnamese women throughout the country.

All proceeds from the photo sales of the display titled Ganh (carrying yoke) will be used to help the poor children of the city.