From the Mind of 'Mekong Review' Comes ‘Yellow,’ a New Lit Mag Focused on SEA
“Cooped up in my apartment-cage in Tân Định, I created, with scissors and glue, dummy after dummy of a cosmopolitan rag positively pumping with scandals and half-truths. I was having a lot of fun dreaming of a magazine that I would never be able to do. And buried somewhere in that detritus on the floor—advertising cutouts and newspaper clippings—was Yellow … Once I knew I had the name, the magazine more or less made itself, as though the name determined the rest, ie, form and content,” writes Minh Bui of the birth of Yellow, his “what-do-I-do-after-Mekong Review magazine.”
In Saigon's Bửu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture
It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.
On Reading Ocean Vuong and Thinking About the Sniff Kisses of My Family
Having always been a little brother, I had to learn to be a big one when I was 10 years old. In the midst of the confusion of this new role, I found myself pressing my nose to this newborn’s head and inhaling as hard as I could. This “sniff kiss” was not an action I invented. Rather, it was an instinct forged through mimicry: I started noticing from this point that my father and grandmother both did the same thing to me.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Meet Th.ink Room, the Tattoo Collective Bringing New Life to Old Artworks and Onto Skin
Tattoo Therapist, dr.99hz, cd.cadao, goc.viet, Solarist and Baby Nepotism: listing the artists that call Th.ink Room home feels like shouting out the members of a rap clique. Indeed, tattoo artists, more than any other visual artists, are akin to rappers in their use of pseudonyms, so to employ a common hip-hop refrain, Saigoneer became interested in Th.ink Room because “game recognize game.”
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
A (Literally) Brief History of Vietnamese Representation in 'Mean Girls' (2004)
Written by Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey and premiered in 2004, Mean Girls is often heralded as a sharp, self-aware comedy that was ahead of its time, yet still holds up surprisingly well today. Alas, its depiction of Asians has aged a little more poorly, even though at the time of its release, the Asian representation was shockingly accurate for its time, despite some haphazard characterizations.
On Shooting an Entire Movie on 35mm Film: The Curious Case of 'Quán Kỳ Nam'
“Let’s go to Vietnam!” declared Sabrina Baracetti, president of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, as she wrapped up her introduction for Leon Lê's Quán Kỳ Nam (Kỳ Nam Inn). Sitting in the Teatro Nuovo, watching Quán Kỳ Nam unfold for the first time, I felt an overwhelming surge of pride.
Tracing the History of 'Hello Vietnam,' the Overnight Sensation From Europe
Most people who have flown with VietJet are probably familiar with the song ‘Hello Vietnam’ or its Vietnamese version ‘Xin chào Việt Nam.’ As it's often played during landing, tourists might mistake the song for a cute jingle of the company, but the meaning behind the song lyrics is much more nostalgic. It’s about a person of Vietnamese descent longing for their ancestor’s homeland, a place they’ve never been — a story that can certainly strike a chord with many Vietnamese people. Few know, however, that this song was originally a French-language song, one that was almost never released.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Little Moments of Stillness on Hanoi Streets via Artist Hoàng Hiền's Illustrations
Whether they're from Saigon, Hanoi or Đà Nẵng, urbanites in Vietnam have all grown up amid the chaos of local street culture, where the pulses of civic life churn with every vendor, family business, and gig worker. "Moment of Stillness," a collection of colorful illustrations by artist Hoàng Thanh Hiền, was born of the artist's keen observations of the familiar scenes in her immediate surroundings.
Exhibition 'Hà Nội Là' Showcases How Local Youths Define the Capital
Twenty-nine outstanding artworks from the illustration contest “Hà Nội Là” are on displayed at the French Institute in Hanoi-L’Espace from December 18, 2021 to January 2, 2022.
Saigoneer Podcast: The (Brief) History of 'Day of Phở'; and Weddings or Rooftop Bars?
The last regular episode of the Saigoneer Podcast for 2021 is out now!
Uyên Đỗ in Music & Arts
Have an Interest in Creating? Saigon's Ươm Art Hub Welcomes All.
“There’s nothing much to say of Ươm except for the fact that it’s a collective of zany 20-somethings aspiring to do something that one might sort of categorize as ‘creative.’” — This is how Ươm Art Hu...
Inside Á Space's Residency Program Where Emerging Artists Shine
Founded in May 2018, Á Space offers a safe haven for burgeoning young Vietnamese artists, offering them a platform to actualize their ideas while inviting them to participate in Hanoi’s contemporary a...
On an Eerie Night Tour Through Hell at 'Hù: Quả Báo' Art Exhibition
Have you ever wondered how those who steal designs or borrow without returning would repent for their sins in hell?
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.
Vietnamese Photographer Wins Top Prize in Drone Photo Awards' People Category
As part of the Drone Photo Awards 2021, which focuses on honoring aerial photography, eight works by Vietnamese authors were commended by the jury in the People category. The top prize went to Phạm Hu...
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
What to Do When You Discover That Your Mom Was a Superstar Singer in 1960s Saigon
In early 1960s Saigon, Phương Tâm was a star singer, performing every day in the city’s busy nightclubs and music venues.
A Photographer's Quest to Document Vietnam's Provinces From Two Angles
Hanoi-based photographer Justin Mott has taken a unique approach to depicting Vietnam in his ongoing photo series.
How Tùng Writes Modern-Day Fables in Both His Audio and Visual Arts
Tùng admits that he writes lyrics and sings based on imagery in his imagination. Listening to Tùng’s music or perusing his artworks, one might feel as if they’re being enticed into a poetic world that...
'The White Distance' Ruminates on the Pandemic Gaps Within Ourselves
The final exhibition of Heritage Space's annual contemporary international art exchange project, "Month of Art Practice - MAP 2021," will be on display in Hanoi until December 12.
A Typographic Tribute to Áo Dài in This Elegant New Typeface
Đạt Đỗ, a graphic designer based in Ho Chi Minh City, is embracing local culture through the release of a brand-new typeface, Vén.
Saigoneer Podcast: Rating 'Bonjour Vietnam,' Plus Waterbus v. Metro
After a brief Covid-related break, we're back with a new episode!
Mầm in Music & Arts
Graffiti Artist Nguyễn Tấn Lực Is Serious About Changing Public Opinion of Street Art
As an art form deeply rooted in the streets, graffiti embodies the liberation of creativity from strict societal framing. But like other street creations, it’s never free from public scrutiny due to i...
Liberation Radio: The Ultimate Message of Peace Through Audio Broadcast
An audio-visual installation at Manzi Exhibition Space followed in the footsteps of the American military deserters who opposed the war in Vietnam.
A Gia Lai Entrepreneur Brings Her Hometown's Brocade Art to Modern Jewelry
Vũ Thị Thanh Vân had a simple wish: she wanted to find a well-crafted brocade gift for a friend but the only items she could find were generic, run-of-the-mill fillers sold at tourist sites. Thus bega...
Filmmaker Hà Lệ Diễm Wins Best Directing Award at Documentary Film Fest
Children of the Mist (Những Đứa Trẻ Trong Sương) is the debut long feature of Vietnamese documentarian Hà Lệ Diễm.
Hanoi to Name 2 New Streets After Literary Couple Lưu Quang Vũ-Xuân Quỳnh
The Hanoi People’s Council has proposed naming two streets in Cầu Giấy District after Lưu Quang Vũ and Xuân Quỳnh, two of the most prominent poets in Vietnam's literary world.
Year of the Tiger Through Tết Artworks by Vietnamese Illustrators
“Lịch Con Hổ” (The Tiger Calendar) is an initiative to raise funds for Hanoi-based NGO Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. The creative project was brought to life thanks to a young artist collective a...
