Film is a great medium for expression of culture and ideas. The Vietnamese Students Association at the University of Pennsylvania is extremely lucky to be able to work with the Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education to bring movie screenings to our school. Films provide students, as well as other audiences, with a way to learn more about Vietnamese culture in a more interesting setting other than a classroom. By working with IVCE, the VSA at Penn has been able to bring feature length films, as well as documentaries, to the Penn community. Through these screenings, students with Vietnamese heritage, as well as those simply interested in Vietnam and its rich culture, have a chance to see a modern Vietnam and the issues the country faces. Jennifer Phuong, President of VSA at UPenn.
To many people, I think when we talk about Viet Nam, there is an undoubtedly overwhelming association between the nation and the war in its past. However, I feel that the richness of our culture is vastly overshadowed by such a connection. Using film is an excellent visual media through which we convey several cultural themes unrelated to the war. By offering opportunities for us to journey through the landscape in the Land of the Rising Dragon and listen to the stories of its past, as Vietnamese or Vietnamese-Americans, we can restore or reinforce that link we cherish so deeply with our native land. These films remind us of our heritage and recount real experiences of what still plagues our homeland. We all want to be great leaders of the future and inspire change – these films remind us to start somewhere closer to home: Viet Nam. Tho Phan, President of VSA at Brown University.
It has been a great pleasure to have the opportunity to bring these new Vietnamese films to Cornell University. I hope that through these films the Cornell (as well as the Ithaca and surrounding areas) audience will have a glimpse of and the appreciation for Vietnamese culture, heritage and tradition. When it comes to appreciation for world cultures, the Cornell community is especially sophisticated and these films have created the cultural links to Vietnam in providing the audience a better understanding of the people and society of Vietnam today. The Ithacan community also has a strong film culture, I think the audience has shown a great deal of appreciation for Vietnamese film aesthetics. As a film enthusiast myself, I think brought about the awareness of Vietnamese films, culture and the Arts and I hope that it will elevate Vietnamese cinema worldwide in the future. The interaction with the directors as cast and crew has been great despite the language barrier. The presence of the director has also brought a strong interest to the screening. It's my hope in the future that Vietnam will produce more up-and-coming talents to be presented at the global cinema scene. Thuy Tranviet, Southeast Asian Studies - Cornell University.
New York (March 24th, 2009).
IVCE is pleased to announce our upcoming event in the United States - the premiere of a new Vietnamese film, Trang Noi Day Gieng or "The Moon at the Bottom of the Well" directed by Nguyen Vinh Son.
Synopsis:
Hanh, a high school teacher in Hue, Vietnam, and her husband, Phuong, the school's principal, share a seemingly peaceful and happy life. Though she loves her husband deeply, there is one thing she is unable to give him - a child. Hanh thus facilitates an arrangement for her husband to have a child with another woman. The surrogate pregnancy must be concealed or they will be subject to public scorn. Unfortunately, the secret gets disclosed and jeopardizes Phuong's career. To protect her husband, Hanh sacrifices their marriage, only to find out later he is not worthy of her love. Despairing, Hanh never expects to find happiness again, but nevertheless stumbles on it in the most unexpected place: the underworld.
Award:
. Best Actress - Dubai International Film Festival 2008.
http://www.dubaifilmfest.com/en/media-center/press-room/diff-honours-muhr-winners.html
. Silver Kite, Viet Nam Cinematography Association's Award for Best Film, 2009
A discussion with director Mr. Nguyen Vinh Son and Tuoi Tre Newspaper journalist Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai Nam will follow each screening.
The schedule of program is as follows:
7:00pm–9:00pm. Thursday, March 26, 2009.
Room 190, Film Studies Department
301 Washington Ter. Middletown, CT.
Wesleyan University
Contact: Hoang Nguyen, hnguyen@wesleyan.edu
7:00pm–9:00pm. Saturday, March 28, 2009.
Hilllyer-Graham Hall. Brown Fine Arts Center
Smith College
Contact: Dung Chu, mchu@smith.edu
7:00pm–9:00pm. Tuesday, March 31, 2009.
Hunter Lab Carmichael Auditorium
Brown University
Contact: Tho Phan, tho_phan@brown.edu
7.00pm-9.00pm. Thursday, April 2, 2009.
Cornell Cinema. Willard Straight Hall
Cornell University
Contact: Thuy Tranviet, tdt5@cornell.edu
7.00-9.00pm. Friday April 3, 2009.
Mathey-Rocky Theater
Princeton University
Contact: Richie Huynh, rhuynh@Princeton.EDU
7.00pm-9.00pm. Saturday April 4, 2009.
Room 200. Cantor Film Center
(36 East 8th Street & 5th Ave, NYC)
New York University
Contact: Thang Tran, nhipsong@ivce.org
7.00pm-9.00pm. Tuesday, April 7, 2009.
Chem 102, Chemistry Building
231 South 34th Street
University of Pennsylvania
Contact: Jennifer Phuong, jenniphu@sas.upenn.edu
7.00pm-9.00pm. Wednesday, April 8, 2009.
place: TBA
George Mason University
Contact: Thang Tran, nhipsong@ivce.org
Vietnam International Film Fstival (ViFF 2009)
12pm-2pm. Sunday, April 12, 2009.
Room HIB 100
UC Irvine
Contact: Ysa Le, ysadle@yahoo.com
7.00-9.30pm. Monday, April 20, 2009.
Pacific Film Archive.
2575 Bancroft Way.
University of California - Berkeley
Contact: Thuy Pham, cseas@berkeley.edu
time: TBA
place: TBA
University of Washington
Contact: Tikka Sears, tikka@u.washington.edu
IVCE is grateful for the support of the Ford Foundation and IIE in Vietnam. Also, we recognize the contribution of the Vietnam Embassy in D.C and affiliated individuals.
IVCE greatly appreciates the collaboration of various Southeast Asia Studies Centers and Vietnamese Student Associations throughout the United States. IVCE has been coordinating valuable Vietnamese cultural programming, including traditional & contemporary music, poetry & literature, film, folk & contemporary painting exhibitions, as well as history seminars for the past several years.
IVCE would also like to recognize the foundations, organizations, and individuals who have made generous contributions to IVCE's cultural and educational programs. Their gifts have enabled IVCE staff to plan and execute many programs aimed at raising awareness about Vietnamese culture and expanding the educational opportunities of Vietnamese students. We sincerely hope that the example set by these donors will inspire all of you out there to give financially to IVCE, so that we can continue the work of promoting Vietnamese culture and education in the U.S. and abroad. http://www.ivce.org/support.php
Sincerely,
Thang Tran
President of IVCE.
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