Society

Eight short documentary films about contemporary life in Viet Nam will be presented free of charge this night at the Goethe Institute in Ha Noi. The films were made by young amateur filmmakers who last year took part in a six-month workshop conducted by DOCLAB, a centre/lab for documentary filmmaking and video art which is based at the Goethe Institute. The films were made in a new and experimental style which allowed the filmmakers to foster their personal voices and independent visions of contemporary society. Characters in some of the films are silent because the filmmakers wanted to let the ambient sounds and images tell their stories. In his 11-minute film Chuyen Moi Nha (The Story of Ones), Pham Ngoc Lan uses the banality of Vietnamese State radio broadcasts to give a face to the unseen voices. The portraits and settings layered atop the aural landscape create questions, provide humour and offer context. Nguyen Phuong Thao's 10-minute film Nhung Mon Qua (The Gifts) is a direct … [Read more...] about Short documentary films tell stories of contemporary society

Politburo member Truong Tan Sang applauded the work of Vietnamese historians while addressing the 6th Congress of the Viet Nam Historians' Association in Ha Noi on Thursday. Looking back: The Thang Long Imperial Citadel opened to the public in October. The site provided archaeologists with a treasure-trove of artefacts and insights into the country's history. — VNA/VNS Photo Trong Duc "The association has made an active contribution to the learning of Vietnamese history and to preserving our cultural heritage," he said. "The association's members have helped improve the way history is formally taught. Their research has benefited society and helped to protect the country's sovereignty. The society also made a great contribution to the 1,000th anniversary of Ha Noi celebrations." Sang called on the society to continue its work on preserving the nation's cultural values. He said he hoped historians would play an even greater role in the teaching of history in and outside of … [Read more...] about Historians’ work ‘benefits society’

The Dutch government will abandon the model of a multicultural society. In a letter to parliament on Thursday Minister Piet Hein Donner of Internal Affairs states that the Netherlands will start a new integration policy. "The government shares the social discontent that exists on the multicultural society," read the letter published Friday. "In the new integration, the values of the Dutch society play a central role. With this change, the government steps away from the model of a multicultural society." The new government wants more demands on immigrants. They should be responsible themselves for ensuring that they learn the Dutch language. "A more obligatory integration is justified because the government also demands that from its own citizens," the letter continued. "It is necessary because otherwise the society gradually grows apart and eventually no one feels at home anymore in the Netherlands. The integration will not be tailored to different groups." The letter announced … [Read more...] about Dutch government says goodbye to multicultural society