Pham Thien An wins Cannes award.

The film Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by director Pham Thien An won the Golden Camera award (Caméra d'Or) - the award for the best debut film by a young director at the Cannes Film Festival.

Pham Thien An, born in 1989, won second prize in the 48-Hour Short Film Challenge in 2014. In 2018, his short film * The Mute * premiered at the Palm Spring International Short Film Festival and was selected to compete at several international film festivals. In 2019, Pham Thien An made his debut at Cannes with the short film * Stay Awake, Be Ready * .

Pham Thien An used to live and work in Ho Chi Minh City, but he and his wife moved to Houston, USA, four years ago.

Pham Thien An receives the Caméra d'Or award.

Vietnamese-French filmmaker Tran Anh Hung received the Best Director award for The Port-Au-Feu . Prior to that, Pham Thien An's Inside the Golden Cocoon was screened in the Directors' Fortnight category and received much praise from critics. The film tells the story of a man who must carry his sister-in-law's body back to his hometown to return it to his brother. This journey sparks reflections on the meaning of life in him, and has been described by foreign publications as having a "poetic" quality and "enchanting" the audience.

At the 46th Cannes Film Festival (1993), director Tran Anh Hung won the Golden Camera award for his film *The Scent of Green Papaya *.

Activities to celebrate the Buddha's birthday and commemorate Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc.

Traditionally, the period from the 8th to the 15th day of the 4th lunar month is the time for the Buddha's Birthday Celebration - the United Nations Vesak Day. This is a major event for Buddhism worldwide in general, and Vietnamese Buddhism in particular, and is joyfully and solemnly celebrated by its followers.

In addition to the activities of setting up the ceremonial platform, the Lumbini Garden, and flower floats to celebrate Buddha's birthday, this year, the Buddha's Birthday Week (Buddhist calendar 2567 - Gregorian calendar 2023) organized by the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Ho Chi Minh City will take place from May 26 to June 2 (corresponding to the 8th to 15th day of the 4th lunar month of the Year of the Rabbit) with many rich activities at Vietnam National Pagoda (244 3 Tháng 2 Street, Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City).

The Executive Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Association inspected the preparations for the Buddha's Birthday celebration at the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Cultural and Spiritual Center - Vietnam National Pagoda.

In particular, this year also marks the 60th anniversary of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc's self-immolation for the Dharma, so the activities celebrating Buddha's birthday are organized concurrently and intertwined with events honoring Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc.

Besides the solemn bathing of the Buddha ceremony organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Association on the 8th day of the lunar month, throughout the week there are also Buddhist Dharma lectures given by Venerable monks assigned by the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Propagation Board. The Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Charity and Social Welfare Board also mobilizes temples and organizes programs to donate gifts to the needy, demonstrating the compassionate spirit of Buddhism.

The Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Culture Committee is in charge of the exhibition of images of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at Vietnam National Pagoda (which opened on May 26); designing the Buddha's Birthday celebration stage and the "Sacred Fire Shines Brightly in Golden History" art night (taking place at 7 PM on May 28).

The art night will feature many singing, dancing, and musical performances by professional artists, promising a profound program for Buddhists in Ho Chi Minh City to enjoy in a spirit of gratitude and remembrance of the Buddha, Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc, and their ancestors.

The program "Sacred Fire Shines Brightly in Golden History" is directed by Bill Nguyen; MCs Dai Nghia and Lam Anh Ngoc are the narrators; and features the participation of artists: Ta Minh Tam, Thanh Lam, Tung Duong, Nguyen Phi Hung, Bich Phuong, Quoc Dai, Thuy Trang, Dong Quan, Hai Phuong, Sa Huynh, Quach Tuan Du, the Giac Ngo Pagoda Choir…

The exhibition of the same name about Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc and the martyred saints features 88 paintings and images, published for the first time as a historical film recording the story of the self-immolation of 10 monks, 9 nuns, 12 Buddhists, and 8 martyred saints who perished at Hue Radio Station… The main activities of the Buddha's Birthday Celebration Week are as follows: The opening of the exhibition about Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc will take place at 5 PM on May 26, 2023 (8th day of the 4th lunar month); the Buddha palanquin procession will take place at 8 PM on the same day, May 26; and the flower float parade will begin at 7 PM on May 27 (9th day of the 4th lunar month). The "Sacred Fire Shines Brightly in Golden History" art program will take place at 7 PM on May 28th (April 10th in the lunar calendar), and the official Buddha's Birthday celebration will be held at the main stage at 6 AM on the full moon day of the fourth lunar month of the Year of the Rabbit (June 2nd).

Preserving and promoting the value of the precious historical site of Cho Quan Hospital Prison Camp.

On the morning of May 26th, a scientific seminar on the Importance and Historical Value of the Cho Quan Hospital Prison Camp, where Comrade Tran Phu, the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, was imprisoned and sacrificed his life, was held at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Ho Chi Minh City).

The seminar on the importance and historical value of the Cho Quan Hospital prison camp, where Comrade Tran Phu, the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, was imprisoned and sacrificed his life, was organized by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the People's Committee of District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, in coordination with the Tropical Diseases Hospital and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

Attending the seminar were Mr. Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Pham Chanh Truc, former Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; Mr. Pham Duc Hai, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; along with many leaders from various departments and agencies, researchers, and others.

The Cho Quan Hospital detention camp, where Tran Phu, the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, was imprisoned and died, is located within the grounds of the Tropical Diseases Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City).

On August 26, 1931, Tran Phu, the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, after being arrested, tortured, and falling seriously ill, was brought to this prison camp. On September 6, 1931, Tran Phu died at the age of 27 after leaving a message: "Maintain your fighting spirit." Besides Tran Phu, the prison camp also held many revolutionary fighters such as Tran Nao, Le Hong Phong, Ha Huy Tap, Tran Van Giau, Nguyen Van Troi, etc.

Due to the increasing deterioration of the historical site over time, on April 18, 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council passed a Resolution on "Restoring and preserving the national historical site of the Cho Quan Hospital prison camp located within the premises of the Tropical Diseases Hospital". The project is scheduled to be completed on May 1, 2024, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the birth of General Secretary Tran Phu.

We propose that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs act as the focal point for negotiations on the repatriation of the imperial decree.

On May 26th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Official Letter No. 2083 regarding the coordination in handling information on the auction of royal decrees of Vietnamese origin. The letter, sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the localities of Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, and Thai Binh, was signed by Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee to coordinate with local authorities to work with UNESCO and relevant organizations to repatriate artifacts and royal decrees in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention.

In the official letter, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism highly appreciated the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Shanghai (China). These agencies promptly requested the auction company in Shanghai to stop the auction of Vietnamese imperial decrees, creating initial conditions for considering the possibility of repatriating the decrees through diplomatic negotiations.

Royal decrees, believed to be of Vietnamese origin, are being offered for sale on the website of an auction company in Shanghai.

This document also states that, in order to continue implementing further measures to repatriate artifacts and royal decrees of Vietnamese origin in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which Vietnam and China are both committed to implementing, on April 27th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism instructed the aforementioned localities to carry out the verification process and build dossiers for lost artifacts and royal decrees.

Accordingly, these localities will continue to verify the authenticity of the royal decrees being offered for sale that originate locally; collect and provide legal information about royal decrees and cases of theft; and build dossiers proving the origin of royal decrees from local relics and related sites in accordance with the UNESCO Convention guidelines to submit to relevant authorities as a basis for diplomatic negotiations.

The US supports the preservation of Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks.

On the afternoon of May 25th, at the National Archives Center 4 (Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province), the State Archives and Records Department (Ministry of Interior) held a ceremony to mark the completion of the emergency preservation project for the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks - a world documentary heritage.

In July 2020, the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) provided the State Archives and Records Administration with $88,209 to preserve 500 deteriorated Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks, demonstrating the importance of Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks to the world's documentary heritage.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper ( left ) visits and listens to a presentation about woodblock printing.

Mr. Dang Thanh Tung, Director of the State Archives and Records Department, stated that the project's greatest success was not only the preservation and restoration of 500 deteriorated Nguyen Dynasty woodblock prints, but also the fact that the project contributed to raising awareness among heritage management officials and local people about heritage preservation, and helped train woodblock preservation skills for officials in charge of preserving Nguyen Dynasty woodblock prints at the National Archives Center 4. Furthermore, the project's implementation will create a positive impression of the value of woodblock prints to Vietnamese society as well as the international community. Speaking at the ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper remarked: "The Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are a unique type of document in terms of form, content, and production methods. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage, these documents are a valuable and reliable source for studying and researching Vietnamese history. The US diplomatic mission is honored to join hands with the State Archives and Records Administration in preserving this precious treasure through the US Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund program. Since its inception in 2001, the US diplomatic mission has funded 16 projects in Vietnam, totaling over $1.2 million, contributing to the preservation of Vietnam's diverse and unique cultural heritage. We have also just nominated a project for this year, hoping to contribute to increasing the number of funded projects in Vietnam."

Currently, the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are preserved at the National Archives Center 4, comprising 34,555 woodblocks engraved with Chinese characters. However, due to historical factors, the quality and quantity of these woodblocks have decreased due to the effects of natural aging, tropical climate, wars, floods, and the activities of fungi and insects over many centuries.

In recent years, the Vietnamese government has implemented several activities to protect these woodblock documents, but many issues still require the participation and contribution of the community in extending the lifespan of these documents. A significant number of woodblocks need restoration and reinforcement due to cracks: 2,355; 2,418 woodblocks are degraded by termites and fungi; and 108 woodblocks have unidentified content due to fungi and termites.

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