Paul Christiansen in Literature
5 Books by Vietnamese Authors Centered on Strong Female Protagonists
Literature, more than any other art form, allows people an intimate vantage point from which to witness the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of individuals drastically different from themselves. Bo...
In Action Together During Traveling Art Week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024
Taking place in Đà Nẵng and Hội An earlier in August 2024, the traveling art week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024 became a platform for local artists to showcase artworks, and attracted the attention of many local an...
Nam Cao's Radical Sympathy and Pursuit of Happiness Are Still Relevant Even Today
What messages would a young writer living in colonial times want to impart to the youth of the 21st century?
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
'Longings' Brings 22 Stories by Vietnamese Female Writers to the World
Where are all the female writers?
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Social Commentary, Empathy in Nguyễn Quang Thân's Short Story Collection
Nguyễn Quang Thân passed away on March 4, 2017, several weeks before I moved to Saigon. So of course I never met him, but I feel like I know him. My first introduction was via An Insignificant Family,...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
How Nam Cao Almost Ruined My Favorite Canal Cafe
Spoilers for an 80-year-old story that every student in the nation is required to read: the dog dies, the old man dies, his son's misfortunes show no sign of abetting. Simply, misery abounds at the en...
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?
'The Shard, the Tissue, an Affair': A Short Story by Andrew Lam
This short story is featured in Volume 2 of In My Ear, Your Voice Still Flickering // Bên tai tôi, giọng người vẫn chờn vờn, a three-part, bilingual collection of works by more than 20 Vietnamese arti...
After 4 Years, Krossing Over Arts Festival Returns to Saigon With a Week of Events
After a four-year hiatus, performing art extravaganza Krossing Over Arts Festival (KOAF) officially makes a comeback this April with a week of events to delight Saigon’s art lovers.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Bảo Ninh's English-Language Return and the Magic of Mundane Moments
Of all 20th-century Vietnamese authors whose works were translated into English, none have received more high-profile attention than Bảo Ninh for his wartime novel Nỗi buồn chiến tranh (The ...
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.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
The Fraught Human-Earth Dynamics in 'Revenge of Gaia,' a Collection of Vietnamese Eco-Fiction
Stories focusing on the natural world and humanity’s relationships with the environment existed before the term eco-literature became popular in the west in the 1970s, but since its coinage, writers a...
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: '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.
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.
Read Saigoneer's Literary Zine, Featuring 20 Works by Vietnamese Writers and Artists
In My Ear, Your Voice Still Flickering // Bên tai tôi, giọng người vẫn chờn vờn is a collection of work from twenty Vietnamese writers and artists released as part of the Miami Book Fair, one of ...
'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.
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?
Food Bank Warehouse for Saigoneers in Need Opened in Saigon
The warehouse is aimed at streamlining the food distribution process between donors and Saigoneers in need.
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?
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Luminous Nights' Explores the 20th Century Literary Landscape
Why haven’t some of Vietnam’s most famous early 20th-century short stories been translated into English?
Phạm Gia Quý, the Gen Z Film Maker who Took on International Festivals
Phạm Gia Quý is a young filmmaker born and raised in Saigon and an alumnus of the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design.
Nguyễn Huy Thiệp, One of Vietnam's Most Celebrated Writers, Passes Away
Nguyễn Huy Thiệp, one of Vietnam's most talented and influential post-war authors, passed away on March 20 at the age of 71.
Short Story: 'Left-Eared' by Trần Thị NgH
'Left-Eared' (Người Thuận Tai Trái) is a short work of fiction originally written in Vietnamese by author Trần Thị NgH and translated with her assistance for Saigoneer.
Her Schedule on Saturday
Imagine that on the weekend a splinter flies into your eye and you have to see the doctor.
[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.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Other Moons' Aims to Amplify Voices of Vietnam's Wartime Writers
Why must we continue talking about war?
Two Vietnamese Films Shortlisted for SeaShorts Film Festival 2020
The film festival will be held online from September 12-20.
Envisioning the Mekong's Future Through the Eyes of 5 Regional Filmmakers
The future of the Mekong Delta is uncertain. The river and the people that rely on it are facing the impact of climate change, extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, saline intrusion, hydropow...
3 Vietnamese Films Selected for Locarno Film Festival
The Locarno Film Festival opens this month for the 72nd year running, this time as a new hybrid edition titled "For the Future of Films."
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
[Videos] A 'Stranger Things'-Esque Hanoi Through the Lens of a VFX Artist
Narrow alleys have long been a defining characteristic of Vietnam’s cities, with many tracing their origins to the rice patty embankments that once crisscrossed an agricultural landscape.
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Videos] A 'Stranger Things'-Esque Vietnam Through the Lens of a VFX Artist
Narrow alleys have long been a defining characteristic of Vietnam’s cities, with many tracing their origins to the rice patty embankments that once crisscrossed an agricultural landscape.
[Video] Heel-Flipping Through a Deserted Da Nang in This Awe-Inspiring Short
For skaters, emptiness can be bliss.
Saigon's Blood Reserve Faces Critical Shortage as Pandemic Cancels Donation Drives
Saigon’s public hospitals will face an acute blood shortage in the next few days if the lack of donors continues.
As Shortage Continues, Bánh Chưng Makers Start Hoarding Pork for Tet
Vietnam has been suffering from a pork shortage and thus, pork price hike, as the aftermath of the African swine fever outbreak continues to affect farmers.
[Video] The Effortlessly Cool Longboarders Conquering Saigon Sidewalks in Áo Dài
Have you ever seen something so effortlessly kickass?
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
[Video] A Day in the Life of an Ordinary Schoolgirl in Saigon
What might life be like for a public school student in Saigon who hails from a less well-off family?
[Video] A Poignant Insight Into the Life of an Undocumented Young Man
What is life like for those who weren't registered at birth, and therefore lack an official identity, even as an adult?
[Video] In Remembrance of a Green Ton Duc Thang Past
October 2017 spelled the death of Ton Duc Thang Street in spirit after Saigon maintenance workers started slaying its trees to make way for bridge construction.
[Video] Hong Kong Ballet Dancers Take Over the City in This Surreal Short
Who said ballet has to be stuffy?
Khoi Pham in Society
Many Homes in Vietnam Lack Toilets. But Thanks to Women, That's Changing.
At daybreak, when crickets croon and Tan Xuan Commune is still awash in darkness, Chung is already awake. “We will support you in getting access to funding,” she chants several times in front of a mir...
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
[Video] Short Film 'Sigh Gone' Depicts Love Lost, With a Twist
Have you ever felt completely at sea, hopelessly lost? A new Saigon-set short video from Vietnamese-American director Jeannie Nguyen depicts a day in the life of a young woman facing this situation.
[Video] Local Design Student Wins Graduation Showcase With Surrealistic Short Film
This short film might be the trippiest thing you see today.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Meet the Author of the Most Important Vietnamese Novel You've Never Read
When the wind strafes Da Ngan’s window, seedpods shake and rattle like spent bullet casings in the tamarind tree that Americans planted decades ago. They also built the large apartment complex where s...
[Video] A Skateboarding Journey Through Vietnam
When it comes to travel porn on the internet, Vietnam has its fair share of flashy, share-worthy vacation videos.
