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The exhibition, Mat Ke (Faces that Tell Stories), which was displayed during the last Hue Festival, was the fruit of a collective effort between French and Vietnamese artists. Viet Nam and Francophone countries have co-operated in cultural endeavours and found ways to form a durable partnership.

A two-day conference, Jobs of the Culture, has ended in Hue city, where French is most widely used.

The conference aimed to find ways to popularise Francophone culture in Viet Nam by improving the skills and professionalism of those working in the cultural sector.

Herve Bolot, the French Embassy to Viet Nam, said he wished Viet Nam and the communities could find way to improve the professionalism of workers in the sector.

We should help each other by promoting the communities, he said.

Deep influence

For centuries, French culture has been deeply ingrained in Viet Nam’s culture and colonisation had a strong influence on writers. Cao Viet Dung, researcher at the Viet Nam Literature Institute, said Vietnamese works, being translated by more and more young translators, were warmly welcomed in France.

Ngo Phuong Lan, a cinema critic said the two cultures were highlighted in some French films about Viet Nam. During the’ 90s, films made by French directors with help from local filmmakers, included Indochina, Dien Bien Phu and the Lover.

Important position

With globalisation, Francophonie communities became important pillars of Viet Nam’s external relations, said cultural expert Huu Ngoc

Literature, arts and science were among the areas where the merging of the cultures was extremely beneficial.

He said cultural policy needed to promote the value of the heritage while preserving the national cultural identity in a changing society.

The wide use of French and the translation of French and other European classical works helped spread Western Civilisation, said Nguyen Dinh Quang, former deputy minister of culture.

More modern art forms, including the cinema and photography and drama had continued the integration.

This cultural interaction continues through the diverse and attractive cultural activities of L’Espace the French culture centre, under the patronage of the embassy, he said.

The experience of Avignon in organising the Hue festivals and the co-operation of other organisations, including the Monte Charge theatre with the Tuong (Classical Drama) Theatre in Viet Nam have also been helpful.

Pham Hong Hai, deputy director of the Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet Theatre, said there was co-operation during recent years between Viet Nam, France and other countries with Francophone communities in the fields of music, dance, circus and theatre.

“Our co-operation with music and dance programmes brought positive results,” he said. “They helped us modernise the repertoire of the theatre and familiarise members with contemporary dance. It also helped train a group of professional artists.

Viet Nam co-operated with the Poitou-Charentes region in western France for 15 years in the fields of economics, pharmacy, tourism and technology.

Paul Fromonteil, deputy president of Poitou-Charentes, said an absence of exchange had not helped build a long-term future.

Several technicians working in Viet Nam, trained at the Superior Institute of Technicians of Spectacle in France. Its deputy director Claude Castel said they had an important role but their work was not highly appreciated.

Cultural exchange

Huu Ngoc said the quality of the activities of the communities should be improved, be less expensive and more familiar to the public. Each Francophone country could establish a library to house works from the other regions.

Director Nguyen Huu Phan said the cultural activities of Francophone countries were limited.

The public only knows about French culture and are unaware it exists in other European countries. More Francophone artists should be invited and there should be more exchanges.

Viet Nam’s Hue Royal Traditional Theatre director Truong Van Hai wants Hue Royal music, which was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage in 2003, performed within the country and overseas.

Ngo Van Thanh, director of Viet Nam National Academy of Music, said it was important to create a festival of arts spectacular of Francophone countries to highlight their works.

“It’s important and pressing to train the public to know and enjoy the art. Not many Vietnamese like and understand the symphony,” he said.

The conference is among the meetings in the cadre of the Etats Generaux de la Francophonie au Viet Nam which aims to add more dynamism to Francophonie in the country, more than a decade after a summit on the subject in Ha Noi in 1997.

VietNamNet/VNS