Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Khôi Phạm in Rewind
For a Horror Film About an Ageless Portrait, 'Mười' Hasn't Aged Well
It’s undeniable that Mười: The Legend of a Portrait has left a lasting impression in the minds of a generation of Vietnamese, as the first collaboration between Vietnam and South Korea’s cinema indust...
Hẻm Gems: Come up, We're Watching Old Movies on the Neighbor's Wall
“Thank you for contacting Khôngtrung.bar. Our business hours are 6pm to 1am, Monday to Sunday. Open doors. Cocktails, craft beer, outdoor screening — Thursday and Sunday. Thank you and we hope to bump...
Indie Short Film 'Saigon Kiss' Is a Quintessential Saigon Queer Love Story
Is there a meet-cute more characteristically Saigon than a motorbike breakdown and subsequent friendly assist from a stranger?
'Madame Pirate,' Film Project Based on Asia's Greatest Female Pirate, Sets Sail Again
Zheng Yi Zao “started as a prostitute, resisted the authority of the Qing emperor, kicked everyone’s bottom, and then got away with it... also she has been ignored by history,” explains Vietnam-b...
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.
The Charming 1990s Nostalgia in the Phim Mì Ăn Liền Cinematic Universe
If you lurk around online discussions of Vietnamese cinema, you probably have stumbled upon the term phim mì ăn liền, or “instant noodles films.” This popular Vietnamese expression describes local mot...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Bến Phà Xác Sống' Is the 2nd-Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I'm Sad It's Over.
The day when the Saigoneer team organized a little get-together to watch Bến Phà Xác Sống in the cinema, I was running seriously late.
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...
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...
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.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
A (Non-Exhaustive) Ranking of 10 Vietnamese Queer Movies in History
How would you define a “queer” film?
Paul Christiansen in Travel
How a Film Turned a Historic H'Mông Homestead in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
'Tro Tàn Rực Rỡ' Wins Top Prize at Film Festival in France
Recently, Tro Tàn Rực Rỡ (Glorious Ashes), a Vietnamese film directed by Bùi Thạc Chuyên, was awarded the highest honor at the Nantes Festival of Three Continents.
'Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ!' Wins Best Feature Film at 2021 Golden Kite Awards
In addition to Best Feature Film, Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ! (The Brilliant Darkness!) earned Lý Nguyễn Nhã Uyên a win for Best Leading Actress and Best Screenplay for the drama co-written and directed...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Cù Lao Xác Sống' Is the Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I Love It to Death.
When we entered the auditorium to watch Cù Lao Xác Sống, no theater attendant was there to check our tickets. Perhaps the telling emptiness of the room made them realize they could be doing better thi...
Linh Phạm in Film & TV
Short Film 'Don't' Dreams of a World With an All-Asian Crime-Fighting Squad
One day, Sally Tran realized that many of her friends in New York City were going to self-defense classes and buying weapons to protect themselves in the city they call home.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Maika' Is What Happens When You Take Children Seriously
Maika is a loving tribute to Vietnam’s childhood icon of the 1980s, but for those who didn’t grow up with the original Eastern European series, what’s in it for us?
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'U Linh Tích Ký' Shows Made-in-Vietnam Animation Prowess, but Is Light on Narrative
Premiered less than 24 hours ago, a made-in-Vietnam animation project has quickly become the talk of the town in the local cybersphere thanks to its high production values and intriguing concept.
From Commercial Releases to Heartfelt Docs: A Brief History of Vietnam's Notable Queer Films
Personally honest, socially important and commercially sexy, modern movies about gay and transgender people are among the better works of contemporary Vietnamese cinema.
Director Mai Vũ Wins 'Lights on Women' Award at Cannes Film Festival
Spring Roll Dream is a touching rumination on inter-generational dynamics of a Vietnamese family living in the US.
'Spring Roll Dream,' a Short Film by Vietnamese Director Mai Vu, Is Screening at Cannes Festival
A short film directed by a Vietnamese director will be screened as part of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Review: In 'Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ!,' Watch a Fraught Family Disintegrate During a Funeral
If a family is like a broken leg, does healing it require a more painful break? Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ! (The Brilliant Darkness!) grapples with this question by thrusting characters into a situation that expo...
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
'Madame Pirate,' Short Film Based on History's Greatest Pirate, Screens at SXSW
Do you know who the world's greatest pirate is?
A New Romcom Netflix Original Will Start Filming in Vietnam Next Month
A Tourist's Guide to Love, set in Hanoi, Saigon, Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Hà Giang, will be the first major international flick to film in Vietnam since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Hanoi Cinemas Finally Allowed to Reopen After Nine Months
Earlier this week, city authorities gave official permission for all cinemas and art venues to resume operations.
A Movie Adaptation of 'Đất Rừng Phương Nam' Will Hit Theaters in Late 2022
The adventures of the intrepid An will return to screens in a movie adaptation by director Nguyễn Quang Dũng.
Fantasy Film Based on 'Maika' to Represent Vietnam at Sundance Film Festival
A fantasy film will represent Vietnam at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Charlie Nguyen to Direct Film Based on Life of 'Perfect Spy' Phạm Xuân Ẩn
The storied life of perhaps Vietnam’s most famous intelligence officer will be adapted for the silver screen in the near future.
These 9 Vintage Vietnamese Films Are Now Available for Viewing on YouTube
The Việt Nam Film Institute (VFI) is providing free screenings of nine movies, available now on YouTube.
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
Meet the Vietnamese Creators of 'Centuries and Still,' a Short Decrying Anti-Asian Racism
How much history are you aware of?
[Photos] Stunning Art Deco-Style Cinema in Go Vap Pays Homage to Classic Saigon
The pastel-drenched interior of Beta Cinema finds inspiration in some of Saigon's most famous landmarks and locations.
'Thưa Mẹ Con Đi' Producer Nguyễn Lương Hằng on Her Hopes for Vietnam's Indie Cinema
Nguyễn Lương Hằng is Zoom-ing in from Austin, Texas, to a town in northern Italy because she wants to make a film in her native Vietnam. Welcome to the world of independent Asian cinema.
Horror Flick 'Người Thì Thầm' Bags Awards at International Film Festivals
Another Vietnamese film gets lauded overseas.
'Ròm' Star Trần Anh Khoa Wins Best Actor at Asian Film Festival in Rome
Trần Anh Khoa was honored at the Asian Film Festival in Rome on June 24.
Vietnamese Film 'Taste' Wins Berlin Film Fest Award, Is Fined at Home
This is why we can't have nice things.
Saigon's Young Voice Actors Learn There's More to Dubbing Than Pretty Voices
Voice actors are rarely given enough attention, for they are always working behind closed curtains, giving the movie its "life." Nonetheless, many young people continue to be drawn to this nascent car...
Q&A: An Interview With 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Co-Writer Qui Nguyen
When Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon was released in March, it was a cultural milestone for Southeast Asians. Raya is the first Southeast Asian Disney princess in the Walt Disney Company’s...
The Vietnamese Filmmaker Turning Travelogues Into Cinematic Spectacles
Kop Dinh is a professional travel videographer whose YouTube channel has become a trusted online platform among young viewers thanks to carefully crafted videos showcasing Vietnam’s famed places of in...
After Decades Under the Bed, a 1974 Vietnamese Film Finds an Audience Online
It's 2009 and I'm running a workshop for a large group of unemployed jobseekers in Sydney, Australia.
[Video] 'Lão Hạc' Movie Adaptation Releases Trailer, to Hit Theaters Next Year
The movie is among a handful of Vietnamese features that have a dog in a starring role.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Đoạn Trường Vinh Hoa' Is Cải Lương at Its Most Heart-Wrenching
As the screening came to an end, there were quiet sobs echoing softly across the auditorium. For a lot of us viewers with water in our eyes, it was a complete surprise that a documentary about a seemi...
Christ Pratt to Star in Hollywood Remake of 'Vệ Sĩ Sài Gòn'
Will Chris Pratt play the sullen or the silly half of the bodyguard duo in the Hollywood remake?
Ngô Thanh Vân to Produce Vietnam's First Superhero Movie, Vinaman
Horror, historical fiction, comedy, heist, coming-of-age — in recent years, Vietnamese filmmakers have gradually come up with their own interpretation of many classic movie genres. But what about a su...
[Photos] A Glow-up Turns an Antique Shophouse Into a Hip Creative Space
Who says you can't combine work and play?
On the Road With One of Vietnam's Last Traveling Cải Lương Troupes
Most Saigoneers know cải lương as a form of television entertainment usually enjoyed by their parents or grandparents, but not many are aware of the art form’s important role in the nightlife of resid...
Kelly Marie Tran to Lead First Disney Animated Movie Inspired by Southeast Asia
The Vietnamese American will be the first actress of Southeast Asian descent to have a leading role in a Disney animated film.
Paul Christiansen in Film & TV
How Famed Filmmaker Việt Linh Built a Family Around Art
“The lonely sound of a lute cannot cure your pain. You need Tơ’s singing to bring you serenity.”
Hanoi International Film Festival Delayed Until 2022 Due to Pandemic
The effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to push the event back from its scheduled date of November 4–8.
For Vietnam's Filmmakers, the Pandemic Brings Business, Impetus to Adapt
Six months have passed since COVID-19 first reared its head, and still its impact reverberates chaotically across the planet.
'Canh Dong Hoang' Cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba Passes Away at 93
Most famously known for his part in making the film Canh Dong Hoang (The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone) in 1979, cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba died of old age at 1:50pm on June 1, 2020, at the age o...
Award-Winning Film 'Rom' to Hit Theaters in Vietnam on July 31
After eight years in development and months of not knowing whether the movie would be allowed to be screened, the filmmakers behind Rom can now heave a sigh of relief.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Contemporary Vietnamese Cinema
A new episode is available now!
Saigoneer Podcast: A View of Vietnam From World Cinema
Episode 84 of the Saigoneer Podcast is now available!
Iconic Novel ‘Số Đỏ’ by Vu Trong Phung Is Being Adapted for the Screen
Production on the film adaptation of Vu Trong Phung's satirical masterpiece Số Đỏ, or Dumb Luck, is set to begin this August.
Vietnam's Movie Industry Strides Forward as Much Work Remains
After all it’s been through in conjunction with the historical journey of the nation itself, it's safe to say that it has been one hell of a ride for the Vietnamese film industry.
Movie Scenes Showing Underage, Public Drinking Are Now Banned in Vietnam
Under new regulations, directors will have to do away with scenes depicting teen drinking, among other depictions of alcohol consumption.
Saigoneer Podcast: After the Success of 'Parasite,' a Look at Asian, Vietnamese Cinema
Our latest episode is available now!
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: Despite Laughable Jump Scares, 'Bắc Kim Thang' Is Surprisingly Smart and Topical
With lush landscapes of the Mekong Delta as the background, Bắc Kim Thang is surprisingly wicked and intelligent, but most importantly, it provides feminist advocates a new way to topple the patriarch...
Q&A: How A O Show Creative Director Tuan Le Actualized His Vision for Performance Art in Vietnam
Some may say that modern performance art in Vietnam looks the way it does thanks to the works of Tuan Le and his colleagues. Almost two decades into a series of smashing theatrical successes across th...
These 8 Saigon Christmas Cinemagraphs Will Get You In The Christmas Spirit
Whether you enjoy Saigon’s frenetic Christmas energy or not, it’s impossible to escape the twinkling light shows in the city’s alleys, Santa impersonators and tinfoil snow.
