Cover girl: Poster of Me Thao Thoi Vang Bong in Paris. — VNS Photo Viet Linh

Vietnamese film draws crowd in Paris

Despite chilly weather in Paris and the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, more than 1,500 people have flocked to the Reflet Medicis cinema in central Paris over the past two weeks to see Me Thao Thoi Vang Bong (The Glorious Time in Me Thao, also known as Me Thao - There Was One Time When) by director Viet Linh.

"This is an incredible victory for such an experimental, art-house film," the director told the Viet Nam News in an email from Paris.

Since the first screening on December 8, the film has attracted some 1,700 audiences to its five daily showings, two-thirds of whom are French, Linh said.

Screening contracts normally last for only one week and are re-signed every Wednesday, so Linh does not know for how long the film will be screened.

"The number of audience members peaks during the ‘meet with the director’ showings," Linh wrote.

Linh noted that the film has been so successful in Paris thanks to marketing help from friends, artists and administrative offices, as well as coverage by both the French and Vietnamese media, especially electronic newspapers.

The two most surprising things to Linh are the fact that the film was introduced on a website run by the Japanese community in Paris and that the film ranked second among 11 films on the weekly "most favourite film list" in Pariscope magazine (week from December 8-14) – second only to the American film Mario Pleine de Grace.

Apart from Reflet Medicis cinema, Cine Rhone in Lyon and Semaphore in Nimes have also screened the film. Another cinema in the northern suburb of Paris has signed a contract with the Cinema Public Films distributing company to screen the film starting on January 25, 2005.

Though Vietnamese people account for only one third of the total audience, they are impressed by the director.

"An old man saw the film twice and gave me presents both times," she said. "He thanked me for reminding him of his homeland."

The director admitted to being "very excited" because both herself and the distributing company were not sure how many audience members to expect in the coming weeks.

Me Thao Thoi Vang Bong honours a thousand years of ca tru (the classical chamber music). The feature film is an adaptation from Nguyen Tuan’s novel Chua Dan (Dan Pagoda), which follows the lives of several folk artists.

The film follows Nguyen, who believes he has nothing left to live for after the death of his beloved wife. The dan day (three-stringed instrument) master Truong Tam tries to cheer Nguyen by introducing him to the ca tru singer To.

Viet Linh invented the character of To to add romance to the film. The three are soon trapped in a love triangle, in which Truong Tam must decide between his love for To or his friendship with Nguyen.

Set in the idyllic countryside of northern Viet Nam, Me Thao Thoi Vang Bong employs gorgeous imagery – the village well, ponds of floating water-ferns and flat baskets full of shining yellow silkworms.

The film won the golden Rosa Camuna award, the top prize at the 21st Bergamo Film Festival in Italy.

It has also been screened at film festivals in Japan, Singapore and Belgium.

According to Linh, the film follows other Vietnamese films screened in France, including her own Chung Cu (Dormitory) shown during eight weeks, Mua Oi (Guava Season) by director Dang Nhat Minh, 12 weeks; Nhung Nguoi Tho Xe (Loggers) by Vuong Duc, seven weeks; and Vu Khuc Con Co (Song of the Storks) by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh, two weeks. — VNS

President Tran Duc Luong and French President Jacques Chirac review the Guard of Honour. — VNA/VNS Photo Trong Nghiep

VN, France sign agreements as President Chirac arrives
 http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-10/07/Stories/01.htm 

HA NOI — Viet Nam and France signed agreements on the Ha Noi tramway system and Airbus aircrafts as French President Jacques Chirac began his visit to the country on the eve of the 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 5).

President Tran Duc Luong and his French counterpart Chirac witnessed the signing of eight of the 20 memorandums of understanding expected to be finalised between the two countries during Chirac’s two-day visit.

They include French assistance of US$200 million for the Ha Noi tramway system, US$50 million for modernising the signal system on the Ha Noi-Vinh City railway section, purchase of 10 Airbus aircrafts from France and other co-operative projects on education and training.

President Chirac, on his second trip to Viet Nam, was given a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace.

He later met President Tran Duc Luong, who expressed his wish to expand relations between Viet Nam and France as a model of co-operation between an Asian and European country.

President Luong said Viet Nam would build ties with France in the new century and promote traditional ties of friendship, co-operation, stability and mutual trust.

Pledging further support to Viet Nam’s doi moi (renewal) and process of international integration, Chirac said Viet Nam was always a top priority for France, especially in its foreign policy towards Asia.

Besides increasing development aids to Viet Nam in the coming years, France would create favourable conditions for French businesses and encourage them to invest in Viet Nam, Chirac promised.

He re-affirmed French support to Viet Nam’s bids for membership in World Trade Organisation, non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, as well as in its efforts to expand ties with the European Union.

Backing a project to set up a Vietnamese cultural centre in Paris, President Chirac promised to help the country in conducting archaeological surveys.

Praising the country’s achievements in the ongoing doi moi process and its rising role in the international community, he asked Luong to convey his personal regards to Hanoians preparing for ASEM 5.

In his reply, President Luong said France was the most important European partner of the country in trade, investment, culture, health, education and tourism.

Chirac’s second visit was evidence of dynamic relations and diversified bonds shared between the countries, President Luong said.

The two presidents expressed their delight over bilateral co-operation in all fields, especially politics, economy, culture, science and technology.

The two also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, and agreed to improve co-ordination and co-operation among the French-speaking community.

Luong later hosted a banquet in honour of Chirac and his wife. On Friday, President Chirac will attend the inaugural session of ASEM 5. — VNS

French President Jacques Chirac

France’s President Chirac begins visit
 http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-10/06/Stories/02.htm 

HA NOI — French President Jacques Chirac began a two-day official visit to Viet Nam on Wednesday and will attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 5) in Ha Noi.

This is Chirac’s second visit to Viet Nam and the third by a French leader to the country.

During his visit, President Chirac is expected to hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, President Tran Duc Luong, and to meet with Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. A number of agreements are also expected to be signed by both sides during the visit.

Traditional and friendly ties between the two nations have developed strongly in the new century, and the two have signed many bilateral agreements of co-operation.

Currently, France ranks first among European countries and sixth among 66 territories and nations investing in Viet Nam.

France is also one of the major European buyers of VN’s products, with two-way trade accounting for nearly 1.3 billion euros last year, and expected to reach 1.4 billion euros this year.

VN is ranked seventh among world countries receiving ODA from France. Since 1989, France has donated nearly 1 billion euros and pledged a year-on-year ODA increase.

The country is also ranked first in Asia to receive support from France for cultural, scientific and technological co-operation. The two nations are expanding co-operation in other areas such as justice, administration and customs.

Accompanying Chirac and his wife Bernadette Chodron de Courcel are Francois Loos, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade; Antoine Pourillieute, French Ambassador to Viet Nam; General Jean-Louis Geogelin, the president’s special chief of staff; Jerome Monod, the president’s advisor; and Maurice Gourdault Montagne, the president’s advisor for international relations. — VNS

France, Viet Nam sign deal for first nuclear power plant

HA NOI — Viet Nam and France will co-operate to develop Viet Nam’s fledgling nuclear energy industry.

At a meeting on Thursday with Dominique Maillard, director general of energy and raw materials at France’s Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said Viet Nam was undertaking research to develop the nuclear energy industry for peaceful purposes, which included construction the country’s first nuclear power plant.

Technology and safety of the nuclear power plants were at the top of Viet Nam’s research strategy, said Khiem.

Maillard briefed the deputy PM on outcome of his delegation’s visit to relevant offices in Viet Nam, and in particular, French participation in the exhibition on nuclear power technology in Viet Nam.

France had potential to develop the nuclear power sector and would be willing to co-operate and assist Viet Nam in technology, experience and expert training in the field, Maillard said.

France has a stand at exhibition that opened in Ha Noi on Wednesday, along with other leading nuclear electricity producers, India, Japan, South Korea and Russia.

On the same day, Viet Nam and France signed a nuclear co-operation for peace agreement.

Deputy industry minister, Nguyen Xuan Thuy and a representative of France’s Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry signed the document under which Paris pledged to support Viet Nam develop its fledgling nuclear technology.

"Viet Nam is preparing to build its first nuclear power plant in the central coast by 2020," said Vuong Huu Tan, director of the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Commission. The nuclear power plant is expected to have a capacity of 2,000-4,000 MW.

Demand for electricity is expected to grow by 13 per cent each year until 2010 and about 9 per cent between 2011-20.

It is estimated Viet Nam will lack 8 billion KWh by 2015 and up to 65 billion Kwh by 2020. —VNS