Telling the Story of Vietnam to French Audiences

A series of cultural, culinary, musical, seminar and cinema activities about Vietnam were organized in France under a program named “Vietnam rendezvous on stage”.

Recently, the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac museum in Paris, France, a meeting and dialogue between a number of French-Vietnamese artists and the audience took place about efforts to preserve and promote the spirit, Vietnamese identity in works and research.

On this occasion, the audience and Vietnamese culture enthusiasts had the opportunity to listen to the life stories, thoughts and professional experiences of speakers such as Eva Nguyen Binh, Ambassador and President of the French Institute; Clément Baloup, comic author; and artist Hom Nguyen, in each work.

Attending and speaking at the dialogue were the presence of Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang.

The exchange took place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership between France and Vietnam. Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang appreciated the significance of the event as a playground to meet and exchange between speakers and the public, although they come from many different professions, but together they share the love for the country, people and culture of Vietnam.

“Seeing the affection for Vietnam is an inspiration in the work and life of the authors. In fact, the cultural similarities between Vietnam and France are a solid foundation for the friendly and cooperative relationship. The two countries and two peoples share the same values, including the protection of cultural diversity and attachment to the cultural identity of each nation,” said Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang.

According to painter Hom Nguyen, culture acts as a bond between parents and children. Every family needs to realize the importance of this cultural bond in maintaining the bond between the next generations and the roots.

Presiding over the meeting, Philippe Charlier, Research and Teaching Director of the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac museum emphasized, this is a good opportunity for the authors to acknowledge the difficulties in the process of composing and studying works and works that incorporate cultural elements, thereby improving professionally and making further strides in career.

The event taking place on March 14 at the Municipal Theater of Fontainebleau attracted crowds of people in the city and neighbouring areas.

The same day, an event themed “Vietnam on the Stage” attracted the participation of a number of French citizens, both young and old people who are keen to learn about Vietnamese history and culture.

Opening a series of promotional activities was a symposium that looked at the France – Vietnam relations from the Fontainebleau Conference in 1946 up to the historic visit of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to Vietnam in 2018.

Pierre Journoud, PhD researcher and lecturer, highlighted the ups and downs of the history and special milestones which have been achieved in bilateral relations, offering plenty of interesting analysis.

Amandine Dabat, a 5th generation descendant of King Ham Nghi, delivered a speech “Ham Nghi, exiled king, artist in Algeria”.

Meanwhile, Amandine Dabat, a researcher in art history and the fifth generation descendant of Emperor Ham Nghi, held a presentation on the Emperor who was exiled to Algeria, to help the French public understand more about the king as an artist – an aspect that few people know about..

Participants had the chance to enjoy a number of ethnic musical instrument performances, in addition to exploring the world of Western classical music in Vietnam through a documentary film “Once upon a bridge in Vietnam”.

A representative from the Vietnamese Embassy in France expressed great appreciation for the initiative and efforts made to implement the cultural activities, noting that the event was of great significance as 2023 marks 50 years of diplomatic ties and 10 years of strategic partnership between Vietnam and France.

Next week on March 23 in Ho Chi Minh City, French and Vietnamese chefs will be given a platform to share their unique delicacies during an exceptional roundtable to be held as part of gastronomic exchanges between the two countries. According to the organizers the French Institute in Vietnam, the roundtable will be moderated by renowned French and Vietnamese chefs, including Didier Corlou, a master chef from France and owner of the restaurants “Sices Verticale” in Hanoi, and “Co Mai” in Hoi An, Alain Nguyen, a gourmet chef who graduated from the Ecole Supérieure de cuisine Française Ferrandi; and Thao Na, a chef at the Lavelle Library restaurant in HCM City.

Hannah Nguyen

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