Activities included the launch of a documentary on the theme of Vietnamese culture at Lutétia Cinema, the teaching of Vietnamese culture, and a discovery session about Vietnam for French schools. There were also numerous activities such as a unicorn dance, a photo exhibition titled “Heritage of Vietnam”, and workshops to discover Vietnamese culture such as: bilingual Vietnamese-French fairy tales, calligraphy, making Dong Ho paintings, etc., at the Parc des Chantiers.
This year's "Vietnam Week in Nantes" is a collaborative effort between ART SPACE and the Tissé Métisse Association and features the participation of 33 Vietnamese students from Canada, England, Australia, France, Japan, and Vietnam.
A unique film presenting Vietnamese culture
“Trà, Áo Dài và Việt Nam”, a 60-minute documentary screened at Lutétia Cinema (France), explores two Vietnamese cultural emblems (tea and ao dai) and national identity through meetings with Vietnamese, overseas Vietnamese, and foreigners who love Vietnam.
The documentary interweaves the heartfelt accounts of Tjin, a 9-year-old mixed-race boy, French photographer Scott Mathieu's observations of Vietnam's tea culture, and the poignant testimony of a woman from Hue on the importance of ao dai in his family heritage.
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The documentary 'Le Thé, Le Áo Dai et Vietnam' is broadcast for the first time at Cinéma Lutétia (Nantes, France) |
Also among the interviewed people is Ella Phan, a designer of ao dai from Hue who presented Vietnamese ao dai on many international fashion catwalks, and the 100-year-old lady Dan, who is very famous for her " Ba Dan Lotus Tea” in Quang Ba, Tay Ho, Hanoi — known as “The Supreme Tea of All Time”.
Without dwelling on specific historical aspects, "Trà, Áo dài và Việt Nam" offers simple but profound conversations where the characters freely express their feelings and their vision of tea and ao dai as essential components of the spiritual culture and daily life of the Vietnamese.
Madame Cécile Lancien, director of Carré International, Saint-Herblain, shared: “I experienced memorable moments with the film produced by the Toucher Arts project. I don't have much knowledge about Vietnamese culture, and I haven't had the opportunity to travel there, but I have had many exchanges with the Art Space organisation to better understand Vietnamese culture. This evening, thanks to this film, I had the opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese tea culture, the habit of sharing while tasting tea, as well as the tradition of ao dai, a characteristic feature of Vietnamese culture which is associated with the lives of Vietnamese women. The way the story is told in the film is very touching, the characters interviewed are extremely open. I had a great time watching this movie.”
Aziz Abdouss expressed his admiration for the film by stating: “I do not regret coming today. What a memorable documentary. The film was perfect, from the beginning to the end that made us feel like we were in Vietnam. Just before the film, we had the chance to enjoy Vietnamese tea prepared in an extremely thoughtful manner. Teatime allowed us to immerse ourselves in the Vietnamese atmosphere, and thus enter into an unforgettable trip to Vietnam. Not just about tea, but the next part about ao dai is much more interesting. I was extremely moved by each character, each interview! Thanks to everyone who made this film. I’m not disappointed at all to have come!”
Cultural Activities for the French Public
During this week, French people in the city of Nantes had the opportunity to participate in numerous activities to learn and discover Vietnamese culture in a diverse and colourful manner, including a bilingual Vietnamese – French storytelling session at Tissé Métisse Library in downtown Nantes.
Driven by the desire to share the beauty of the Vietnamese language and traditions with an international audience, the members of the TOUCHER ARTS project made a wise choice: “The Legend of Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cakes”. This familiar Tet story, revisited in the form of a puppet theatre, captivated hundreds of spectators. Beyond the magic of the show, TOUCHER ARTS offered fun and interactive activities that delighted French children and their families. They were able to test their knowledge of Vietnamese culture by answering fun questions and receiving gifts as rewards.
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French girls wear ao dai while doing the bamboo dance. |
From the script to the performance, including translation, staging, puppet construction, manipulation, narration, and workshop facilitation, all stages of the TOUCHER ARTS project were accomplished by young Vietnamese from around the world. The members spent 3 months preparing the project before coming to France.
Quidiza, 15, expressed her feelings: “I just watched a presentation on traditional Vietnamese culture. I felt very impressed and learned a lot of interesting things here, from food to traditional costumes and festivals. I really love Vietnamese culture!”
Alexis, a viewer, shared: “Today I heard about the legend of Vietnamese sticky rice cakes which I never knew before. The puppet show was also very cute and interesting, and I really enjoyed it.”
Hélène Grandhomme, head of the Tissé Métisse Documentary Fund at Tissé Métisse, declared enthusiastically: “Today, we are very happy to cooperate with Art Space intercultural association for Vietnam Day at Tissé Métisse, in order to carry out puppet shows, cultural workshops on the Vietnamese New Year celebration, calligraphy, and Dong Ho painting. The program has attracted the participation of many Nantes families. It was a memorable and exciting moment, and the participating families were very satisfied and extremely happy. I am also very happy to have the opportunity to work with the Art Space organisation to promote Vietnamese culture.”
Vietnamese Students Sharing Culture with French Students
During Vietnam Week, French schools invited the TOUCHER ARTS project to share and discuss Vietnamese culture, helping French students gain a deeper understanding. Members conducted a cultural teaching session for fourth-grade students at Sainte Madeleine de la Joliverie Primary School, played Vietnamese music, and organised cultural promotion activities for over 2,000 parents and students at Loquidy High School.
Agnès (a 13-year-old student) shared: “I find Vietnamese culture very attractive and the Vietnamese language is also very interesting. I learned a lot of good things from the questions in the game I participated in.”
Coutance, a student of Class 7F at Loquidy School, said: “For me, the Vietnam stand at today's end of year event is very wonderful. All the dances and costumes you wear are so beautiful and colourful.”
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French friends are passionate while learning about Vietnamese culture at the event. |
Hoang Thu Trang, president of the ART SPACE association and the TOUCHER ARTS project, said: “Vietnam Week in Nantes attracted thousands of French people. Everyone was excited to learn about Vietnam and the interesting customs and festivals we had introduced. I think the reason is that we told Vietnamese cultural history differently from the point of view of young people and it was done by these young people. Furthermore, we also hope that Vietnamese teenagers, who are mainly responsible for the implementation of the project, will feel national pride and the responsibility to share their country's culture with the world. Today’s young generation will become Vietnam’s cultural ambassadors in the future, acting as a bridge to help international friends know Vietnam better."
