According to the organisers, “Viet Nam Crossroads” was first presented as part of the Photo Ha Noi’25 International Photography Biennale at the Embassy of France in Viet Nam. The three French photographers have had long-standing and profound connections with the land and people of Viet Nam.
The exhibition introduces to the public black-and-white photographs by Gilbert Bertrand, taken between 1970 and 1975, when he worked at the French Cultural Centre in Da Lat and Sai Gon.
Although he was not a professional photographer, Gilbert Bertrand’s sensitivity and passion for photography inspired him to capture moments of life and people in Viet Nam during a special period in history. At the time, his works had never been published, but today the public can admire many of his photographs as valuable documentary records of a historical period.
For Daniel Roussel, his works offer a rare glimpse into life in Viet Nam from 1980 to 1986. As a correspondent for the daily newspaper L’Humanité, Daniel Roussel captured vivid moments from the everyday lives of Vietnamese people. His works, combined with his career in writing and documentary filmmaking, have created a valuable archive reflecting the strong vitality of a country striving to overcome the consequences of war, gradually rebuild itself and rise again.
In the exhibition space featuring works by Lily Franey are photographs she took from 1987 during working trips with the French Secours populaire français in Viet Nam. The highly humanistic works capture simple, everyday scenes filled with hope, portraying a country recovering from the ruins of war; thereby conveying the warmth, emotions and vitality of the Vietnamese people during the period of reconstruction and renewal.
“Viet Nam Crossroads” is an invitation for viewers to feel, reflect and reminisce. Each work is like a piece in the flow of history, helping viewers envisage the transformations of Viet Nam from wartime and the post-war period to reconstruction and renewal.
By bringing together these individual yet closely connected works, the exhibition goes beyond a conventional visual display to become a powerful testament to the resilience and enduring strength of a nation; while also strengthening cultural and artistic exchanges and mutual understanding between the peoples of Viet Nam and France.
The exhibition is being held at Stop and Go Art Space, No. 35 Ly Tu Trong Street, Xuan Huong-Da Lat Ward, Lam Dong Province, until October 10.
