Uyên Đỗ

in Arts & Culture

Strangevisuals Is an Archive of Daily Life on Postcards of Rice and Dó Papers

What are our memories made of?

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Within the Shocking Brutality of Queer Novel 'Parallels' Rests Poignant Poetry

Parallels by Vũ Đình Giang shocked me. While I refrain from spoiling its plot, allow me to share my experience when reading this novel, as translated by Khải Q. Nguyễn, to better explain how the book jolted me from expectations and why the experience provides a unique and valuable addition to the array of Vietnamese novels translated into English.

in Music & Arts

‘129BPM’ Carries the Contemporary Hip-Hop Heartbeat From Vietnam to Malaysia

Under the shared heartbeat of “129BPM,” the dancers channeled their emotions through movement, navigating between individuality and collectivity both on and off stage. Extending beyond Vietnamese audiences, the piece has now been presented on an international platform at George Town Festival 2025 in Penang, Malaysia, marking a significant milestone for Vietnamese contemporary hip-hop performance on the international stage.

in Trích or Triết

Trần Dần, the Literary Maverick Teaching Us How We Should and Can Be an Artist

In the mind of many Vietnamese readers, the name of writer Trần Dần has been inextricably linked with artistic experimentation and innovation. His poetic voice feels nothing like those of writers I learnt back in high school: there is something so different, refreshing and oddly contemporary about it. As I consider every page of his bulky posthumously published anthology Thơ (Poetry), I find his legacy remains inspirational even for contemporary readers — especially other young Vietnamese — on what it means to “be an artist.” This does not only entail one’s appreciation and production of Vietnamese art, but also their adoption of an artist’s mindset into daily life.

in Travel

A Tribute to the Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc

Signs are like voices.

Linh Phạm

in Travel

On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River

We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.

in Music & Arts

In 1920s–1940s Paris, Vietnamese Artists Painted Through the Interwar Period as the 'Others'

How did Vietnamese artists navigate the complex tides of social and political changes, and mark their own position in the art world as the “Others” during interwar Paris — which was celebrated as the “City of Lights,” yet also a stage for both colonial propaganda and a ground for anti-colonial resistance?

Back Arts & Culture

in Arts & Culture

Inside THE BOAT: Phnom Penh’s Floating Art Space

Last October, Phnom Penh's ambitious floating art center, THE BOAT, announced its plan to renovate a majestic but disused vessel docked where the Tonle Sap River meets the Mekong. Earlier this mo...

in Film & TV

Readers' Picks: 20 Best Films From the Year of the Goat

We asked both our readers and regular moviegoers at local alternative film venues like DeciBel and Saigon Outcast to weigh in on the top three films from the Year of the Goat. The results are in and A...

in Arts & Culture

Nuoc 2030: Inside Vietnam's Visually Stunning, Character-Driven Sci-Fi Flick

A wonderfully shot love story set in a water-logged dystopian world, Nuoc 2030 is the first Vietnamese sci-fi film produced to international standards. Filmmaker Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh discusses t...

in Culture

[Photos] Photographer Captures the Last of Mongolia's Eagle Hunters

Ever since he saw a photo of Mongolian eagle hunters at 17, Palani Mohan had dreamed of documenting their story.

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Comic Book Takes Prize at International MANGA Awards

Vietnamese comic book duo Phong Duong will take home a Silver Award at Japan's International MANGA Awards for the first volume of their series Long Than Tuong.

in Film & TV

'Skull Island' Begins Filming in Ninh Binh, 'Fast & Furious 8' May Be Next

If you're a Hollywood filmmaker, it appears Ninh Binh is the place to be these days.

in Culture

How Game Theory Explains Vietnam's Lack of Queues

You'll be hard-pressed to find a straight, orderly line in Vietnam. Sure, there are some rare places – the bank or perhaps the immigration counter at the airport – where you might find people queuing ...

in Film & TV

How Vietnamese Cinema Is Riding the Crest of the Korean Wave

2015 was quite a year for Vietnamese cinema. Take, for instance, Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, the film adaptation of celebrated novelist Nguyen Nhat Anh's coming-of-age story: whether it was scr...

in Arts & Culture

Local LGBTQ Zine Launches Crowdfunding Campaign, Call for Submissions

Vănguard, Saigon’s first-ever queer zine, is calling upon LGBTQ Vietnamese artists to submit new work for its third edition, to be released later this year.

in Culture

Middle-Aged Japanese Man Dressed as Schoolgirl Visits Vietnam

We can all relate: you get home after a long day at the office, exhausted and ready to get out of your business casual. But when it comes to the standard after-work ensemble, Japanese cosplay photogra...

in Film & TV

Saigoneer’s Picks: 20 Best Films From the Year of the Goat

Life Itself, a film about the life of the late film critic Roger Ebert opens with one of his quotes: “We are born with a certain package. We are who we are [...], we are kind of stuck inside that pers...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

[Photos] Preview: Nguyen Hue Flower Street

Saigon’s celebrated flower street returns to Nguyen Hue Boulevard next week to ring in the Year of the Monkey.

in Film & TV

February Movies at Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

This year's controversial awards season is drawing to an end. With the BAFTAs and the Oscars still to come, Saigon's February program includes two long-awaited biopics, one of the most revolutionary a...

in Culture

Vietnam's Hottest Tet Gift: Lucky Buddha Pears

Forget hoverboards and lightsabers: Vietnam's hottest gift this holiday season is the nature-defying Buddha-shaped pear.

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer’s December and January Art Picks

Between Christmas and Tet, everything slows down in Saigon's art world, but a few venues have still found time to put on new shows. Here is some of our favorite work from the holiday season's exhibiti...

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Film & TV

City of Mirrors: A Local Filmmaker's Crowdfunding Quest

For his first-ever feature film, Truong Minh Quy spent two months waiting around for it to rain.

in Culture

[Video] There Is Now a Vietnamese Cover of 'Hotline Bling'

Oh, YouTube. You have brought us such joy: from turtle sex to the “apparently” kid, countless bad lip readings to one Antoine Dodson, the entertainment never ends. And now, through the power...

in Arts & Culture

Cambodia's Stunning Angkor Panorama Museum...Built by North Koreans

Last month, Cambodia opened the doors to a brand-new Angkorian attraction.

in Music & Arts

Morrissey May Play Saigon in April

Good news for everyone with a love of 1980s British indie music: Morrissey is coming to town.

in Film & TV

Vietnamese Actress Makes Hollywood Debut in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' Sequel

Vietnamese actress Ngo Thanh Van, star of several local blockbusters including Dong Mau Anh Hung, Clash and the forthcoming film Sieu Trom, will be making her Hollywood debut next month.