Khôi Phạm

in Literature

5 Indie Bookstores in Saigon for Those Who Are Addicted to the Scent of Paper

Most Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 2000s and 2010s probably grew up amongst the aisles of bookstores, not because we were particularly bookaholic, but because they were pretty much the only third place around with free air-conditioning.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Review: Saigon Soul Revival Returns to Familiar Inspiration on 3rd Album ‘Chốn Ta Về’

More ambitious and self-assured than ever, Saigon Soul Revival (SSR) embraces their own sound and its many influences on their latest album, “Chốn ta về.”

in Music & Arts

Phương Mỹ Chi's Latest MV Tells Eternal Love Story in Vietnam's Khmer Community

After forays into the worlds of reality TV and cinema, Vietnam’s folk pop princess Phương Mỹ Chi has returned to her roots with a fresh new full-length album, pioneered by the lead single ‘Thiên đường với người thương’ (lit: In heaven with my beloved).

in Music & Arts

Tracing My Family's Fondness for French Tunes, From Colonial Times to Vietnamese Versions

“Tombe la merde; tu ne viendras pas ce soir [Shit is falling; you’re not coming tonight]”: an outburst of laughter and applause would inevitably fill the room as my dad, in his deep, mellifluous voice, put his own profane twist on Salvatore Adamo’s ‘Tombe la neige.’ This track, like ‘Paroles… Paroles…’ by Dalida or Christophe’s ‘Aline,’ are widely known and adored in both France and my family in Vietnam. My childhood unfolded against these rhythms, melodies, and lyrics, whose origins were so far removed from me, both temporally and geographically.

in Culture

But What Even Is an Expat: Unpacking the Highly Contentious Term, in Vietnam and Abroad

“Expat is a racist as hell term” — this is the take of Misan Harriman on the popular internet show  SubwayTakes. The ...

Adrien Jean

in Travel

The Enigmatic Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa

Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

Review: Pieces of Me | Nao Yoshioka (feat. Mỹ Anh)

Mỹ Anh has come a long way since becoming the runner-up of The Heroes in 2021. Five years later, now with a full-length album and a spectrum of singles and extended plays under her belt, the Hanoi-based artist has proven to be one of the most dynamic singer-songwriter-producer of her generation.

in Music & Arts

Art Exhibition ‘Limerence’ Explores Where Romantic Desire Distorts Into Obsession

Thom Nguyen utilizes portraiture and depictions of mushrooms and organic objects to explore the concept of limerence in a solo exhibition at Permanently Closed Gallery in Thảo Điền, beginning Friday, August 28.

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

Citizen Earth Program Returns to Hanoi With Art, Culture, Science, and More

Citizen Earth is a Six Space project exploring art, culture, and education through a community lens. The year-long program brings together artists and researchers from various fields such as history, ...

in Music & Arts

Q&A: A History of Fading Colors — An Interview With Artist Quynh Lam

Nguyễn Đức Diễm Quỳnh (otherwise known as Quynh Lam) is a Vietnamese contemporary artist. She was trained early as a painter and was influenced by her family's traditional photography practices which ...

in Music & Arts

Saigon to Host Major Street Art Festival Next Year

Saigon is banking on the festival's success to draw international visitors back to the city after the COVID-10 pandemic subsides next year.

in Film & TV

[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.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Street Art in Vietnam; Puppetry Artist Linh Valerie Pham

A new podcast episode is available now!

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...

in Film & TV

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?

Elise Luong

in Music & Arts

Culture Lab, a Creative Feast Spanning Disciplines, Media, and Even Physical Borders

In May this year, the Goethe-Institut of Hanoi initiated the project "Xưởng Văn Hoá" (Culture Lab) in an effort to support artists and their community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: In Poetry Collection 'OM,' Đặng Thân Embraces Human Turmoil

At the heart of Đặng Thân's poetry collection, OM [Other Moments], is the poetics of dichotomy: beauty and brutality, light and darkness, hope and despair, nihilism and existentialism.

in Music & Arts

Memories of 1960s Hanoi, as Captured by a German Photographer

Manzi Art Space’s current exhibition “Hanoi 1967–1975” displays the vision of German photographer Thomas Billhardt through documentary imagery taken during his multiple trips to Hanoi from 1967 to 197...

in Music & Arts

Month of Arts Practice Returns to Hanoi With Virtual Lectures, Livestreamed Talks

For its fifth consecutive year, the annual “Month of Arts Practice” (MAP) is currently running from its base in Hanoi with a series of online events and a final exhibition opening on November 21.

in Literature

'Blind Man' by Mimi Nguyen

The blind man knows the direction of destiny.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Central Vietnam Floods; Sustainable Fashion Designer Lê Ngọc Hà Thu

Our latest episode is available now!

in Ton-sur-Ton

How a Vietnamese Ethiopian Designer Built Her Fashion 'Dynasty'

“I’m young so I still have big dreams,” Kim Berhanu begins our chat on an early September day. At the tender age of 23, Berhanu is already the CEO and creative director of the fashion brand Dynasty th...

Elise Luong

in Music & Arts

[Video] Rap Song Offers Glimpses Into the Lives, Loves and Labors of Hanoi Residents

The British rapper behind 'Oi Gioi Oi' and 'Find Me in the Mountains' has just released a new video, titled 'The Charming Beast,' describing his mixed experiences of living in Vietnam’s beautiful but ...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Our Dream Pedestrian Areas; Chilling Stories for Halloween

We're back! 

in Film & TV

[Videos] Get up Close and Personal to Hanoi's Myriad of Urban Textures

To walk through Hanoi is to move simultaneously forwards and backwards in time.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 26: Urban Decay

What happens after the cho thuê nhà signs go up?

in Music & Arts

Đinh Tiến Mậu, Photographer of Old-School Saigon Glamor, Passes Away at 85

You might not know who Đinh Tiến Mậu is, but if you’re a fan of nhạc vàng, his works are impossible to miss.

in Music & Arts

How a Controversial SEA Games Mascot Design Inspired an Art Campaign

The upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) will take place next year in Hanoi and some nearby provinces.