ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 29/3 ? TalkVietnam

VN?s film to be shot in the Czech Republic

Hai Phia Chan Troi (Two sides of the horizon) will be filmed in late March by the Vietnam Television Film Centre (VFC), Vietnam Television (VTV) and the Vietnamese People Association in the Czech Republic.

The content of the 33-episode film is based on a short story Mau Cua Tuyet (the blood of snow) written by Tran Hoai Van. This is a moving story about Vietnamese people who have to earn living far from the homeland.

The President of the Vietnamese People Association in the Czech Republic, Hoang Dinh Thang, called on all Vietnamese residents to help the film crew from Vietnam.

Thai billionaire releases second book in Vietnam

Thai billionaire Vikrom Kromadit has just unveiled his second book, titled ?Nghiet Nga va Thanh Cong? (Be A Better Man), in Vietnamese at a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday.

Unlike his first book, ?Tay Khong Gay Dung Co Do? (Building A Career by Bare Hands), which was earlier released in Vietnam and told of Kromadit?s desire to be a rich man, ?Be A Better Man?, which is co-published by First News and Tre Publishing House, is the story of the billionaire?s normal life with its many ups and downs.

?People can make mistakes, but the point is they must live today better than yesterday,? he shared. ?Think about good things and then do good things.?

?Be A Better Man? was published in Thailand in 2004 and has sold 300,000 copies. A Thai TV series adapted from the book is also being purchased to be broadcast in Vietnam.

In 2008, Vikrom was voted as one of Thailand?s 40 richest people by Forbes magazine.

He has published 12 books in Thailand, and they are sold for just US$1 in the hope of sharing his experiences with younger generations.

Last week, he also attended HCMC?s 7th biennial book festival, which ended on March 25.

Old commercial port hosts festivities

A series of cultural activities representing the traditions and history of Hien Town, a commercial centre of northern Viet Nam during the 13-15th centuries, is being held until the end of the third lunar month (April 20).

Located 60km from Ha Noi, Hien Town, now in Hung Yen City, was a bustling commercial port that welcomed boats from around the globe.

Hien Town still possesses an architectural complex of 60 historical remains and 100 engraved stelae, as well as many temples and pagodas.

The annual festival started on Tuesday with an art performance including dance and songs depicting the history, development and cultural features of the region.

The festivities will include a singing contest, folk games, lion dancing, a lantern festival and human chess, as well as traditional rituals at the Xich Dang Temple of Literature, Chuong Pagoda, Tran Temple and Hien Pagoda.

Local specialities will be available such as honey, frankincense and cage-longan (the name comes from the technique of protecting the longan from birds using a cage).

Symposium spotlights Hung Kings worship rituals

A symposium entitled ?Hung Kings worship rituals ? The Confluence of spiritual culture and national great unity of the Vietnamese people? was held in the ancestral land of Phu Tho on March 26.

Researchers, scientists and historians highlighted the significance, vitality and pervasiveness of ancestor worship rituals throughout Vietnamese people?s spiritual lives.

They also mentioned the dossier about the rituals being prepared to submit to UNESCO and discussed some UNESCO suggestions for completing the dossier, including clarifying the connection between the community and the State and respective representation, as well as cultural diversification and the tangible and intangible value of the cultural tradition.

Also on March 26, the city? Party Committee, People?s Council, People?s Committee and Father Front of Viet Tri city held an incense offering ceremony in commemoration of Hung Kings, praying for peace and prosperity for the country at the Hung Kings temple historic site.

The sixth International Artistic Photography Exhibition opened on the same day in Viet Tri city on the occasion of the upcoming Hung Kings? anniversary and the 2012 Hung Kings temple festival. The exhibition features 542 pictures taken by 354 photographers from 38 countries and territories around the world, including more than 304 photos by 220 Vietnamese artists.

The exhibition, the largest of its kind to be held in the province, aims to encourage photographers to exchange experiences and introduce visitors to different cultural identities. The show, held jointly by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and the Phu Tho provincial Culture and Arts Association, will last through April 2.

Hoi An to host Earth Hour celebration

A series of cultural and flower floating performances along the Hoai River in old Hoi An City will commemorate the annual Earth Hour on March 31, the city?s culture and tourism department said.

In the program, ?City without Electric Light?, Hoi An will switch off its lights for an hour between 8.30pm to 9.30pm this weekend.

All old streets will light up with candies and oil lamps during that hour.

As scheduled, local people will join to clean rubbish on Cua Dai Beach and in the old quarter in the morning, while the Earth Hour?s goodwill ambassadors will canvass the streets calling for environmental protection.

An art performance will be held at Hoai River Square, while over 3,000 floating lanterns will be released on the river.

It?s the fourth time the city has organized the Earth Hour, launched by the World Wildlife Fund.

The city also launched its free wireless internet network on March 28.

It means that tourists can access internet anywhere within the old quarter.

Tang poetry festival organised

The 7th National Tang Poetry Festival has attracted hundreds of poets representing the 2,500 members of UNESCO?s Club of Vietnamese Tang Poetry to Ha Long City in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Tang poetry refers to the characteristic style of China?s Tang dynasty (618-907), considered the Golden Age of Chinese poetry and influential in countries such as Viet Nam.

Adapted in Vietnamese literature thousands years ago, the poetry contains Vietnamese characteristics.

The Tang Poetry Festival has contributed to the maintenance and development of the poetical genre as well as Viet Nam?s cultural values.

On the occasion, a book entitled Vietnamese Tang Poetry, with 2,800 poems newly composed by 1,400 Vietnamese poets and the first Tang poetry book inspired by Ha Long Bay, has been released.

Spanish puppets come to Vietnam

Two Spanish puppeteers will perform at Vietnam Puppetry Theatre in Hanoi on April 2 in celebration of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Spain.

Melena Miranda Barcelo and Martin Ruiz Fernadez from the Madrid-based puppetry troupe Tiretes con Cabeza will perform the piece Love of Worm and Butterfly.

The 45-minute show with music and light accompaniment is expected to bring the audience into a romantic world of the worm and butterfly. The piece is an adaptation from writer Gabriel Castiila?s novel Telon de Cielo (Sky?s Curtain).

The puppetry troupe, set up in 2000, has toured a number of countries. After Hanoi, the artists will perform in Yen Bai on April 4 and Lao Cai on April 6.

The piece will be performed on April 2 at 8p.m, at Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, 361 Truong Chinh Road, Hanoi.

Belgian singer Manou Gallo to perform in Vietnam

A famous music band from Belgium, including world-known singer Manou Gallo, will attend the 2012 Hue Festival in Vietnam in April.

The artists will also perform at the Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre in Hanoi on April 5 before joining the Hue festival.

Manou Gallo will be the focal point at the performance, which is free of charge.

Born in 1972 in Divo town in the Ivory Coast, Manou was musically gifted when she was young and took part in her first show at the age of twelve. She has been residing in Brussels, Belgium, since 1997, and published her first CD entitled ?Dida? in 2002, which has won great praise from the public.

Manou has become famous and toured many countries around the world. She was nominated for the ?MAMA Awards 2009? (MTV Africa) as ?Best Performing Artist? of the Ivory Coast.

Vietnamese girl wins Czech literary prizes in two consecutive years

This is the second year Nguyen Thuy Linh has won first prize at the Czech Republic?s Filip Venclik Literary Contest.

The 18-year old Linh is studying at Gymnazium Ostrov School. Linh said she was born and has grown up in the Czech Republic so she is fluent in Czech language.

Bookworm to host Festival of Ideas and Writing

Bookworm?s annual Writer?s and Ideas Festival will take place weekly throughout April and May. This year, novelists, short-story writers, food writers, philosophers, researchers, songwriters, musicians, poets, historians, filmmakers, and raconteurs will make presentations. If you are interested in being a speaker, please contact the event organiser at bookworm@fpt.vn. The first session of April will take place at the Bookworm, 15A Ngo Van So Street, on Wednesday, April 4, 7:30-9pm.

Operation Smile to hold charity concert

The non-governmental organisation Operation Smile will host a fund-raising concert at the Thao Dien Village in District 2 tomorrow to help children born with facial deformities.

The concert will feature flutist, pianist and conductor Anne Drummond along with friends and special guest Vo Trong Phuc.

Tickets are priced at VND950,000 per person, including dinner and beverages.

HCM City hotels to celebrate Easter Sunday

Hotels in HCM City like Nikko, New World and Legend will celebrate Easter Day, falling on April 8, with several exciting activities for children including the Easter egg hunt and painting Easter eggs.

Traditional Easter dishes like roast lamb, simnel cakes and custard tarts will also be offered at the Easter parties.

Exhibition by female artists to open

The Walker, a visual art exhibition by a group of women artists who were born after 1975 in HCM City and Ha Noi, will open at the Fine Arts Museum tomorrow.

The group, including Le Hien Minh, Nguyen Thuy Hang, Vu Khanh Van, Ly Tran Quynh Giang and Nguyen Kim To Lan, will showcase 13 art works that have a wide range of styles from oil paintings, pop art to installations. The art works are a reflection of personal issues that confront contemporary women, organisers said.

The exhibition, at 97A Pho Duc Chinh in District 1, will be closed on April 7.

Jazz diva to celebrate her 48th year in music

Tuyet Loan, 62, ?Viet Nam?s Jazz Queen?, will perform at the We Night Club in HCM City?s District 3 on April 5 to mark the 48th anniversary of her singing career.

She will be joined by her regular partners like Nguyen Tan Quoc, Tran Manh Tuan, Dang Phuong, and Vu Trong Hieu.

Jazz fans can hear some of the songs that made Loan famous ? like Easy Living, Autumn Leaves, Star Dust, and Misty.

?Jazz does not have many fans in Viet Nam,? she said.

?After more than 40 years of singing, I have never thought about stopping. If I live until 90, I will still appear on stage to sing to my fans.?

Loan performs from Thursday to Sunday every week at the Sax n? Art on Le Loi Boulevard in District 1.

Source: http://talkvietnam.com/2012/03/art-entertainment-in-brief-293/

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