The exhibition “Vietnam Crossroads,” held at the French Embassy in Vietnam (57 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cua Nam Ward), brings together works about Vietnam in the 1970s-1990s by three French photographers: Daniel Roussel, Gilbert Bertrand, and Lily Franey.
The exhibition is part of the Photo Hanoi ’25 International Photography Biennale, organized by the French Embassy and the French Institute in Vietnam.
Daniel Roussel’s photographs offer a rare glimpse into life in Vietnam from 1980 to 1986. As a correspondent for the daily newspaper L’Humanité, Daniel Roussel captured everyday moments in Vietnam with love and admiration. His work, combined with his writing and documentary filmmaking career, has created a valuable archive, celebrating the vibrant spirit of Vietnam in the post-war period.
The exhibition also features black-and-white photographs by Gilbert Bertrand, taken between 1970 and 1975 while he worked at the French Cultural Center in Da Lat and Saigon. Although not a professional photographer, Bertrand’s keen eye and intense passion for photography compelled him to capture important historical turning points. At the time, his works were never published, but today they are recognized for their photographic value and timeless historical significance, contributing to shedding light on a special chapter in Vietnamese history.
“Vietnam Crossroads” also features emotionally charged photographs by Lily Franey, taken since 1987 during her work trips with the French Popular Relief Society (Secours populaire français) in Vietnam. These photographs depict a country reviving from the ruins of war, with serene scenes brimming with hope. Through a profound humanistic lens, Lily Franey conveys warmth and subtlety in her work, offering a realistic and vivid portrayal of the will and daily life of the Vietnamese people during the period of reconstruction and renewal.
Speaking at the exhibition, Franck Bolgiani, Cultural Attaché and Deputy Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, shared, “‘Vietnam Crossroads’ is not just a photography exhibition; it’s a journey through time, a dialogue between perspectives and eras, between memory and transmission. From the 1970s to the 1990s, these three French photographers, each in their own way, captured the faces, landscapes, and emotions of a country in transition.”
According to Franck Bolgiani, when exhibited together, the three photographic journeys create a shared memory between France and Vietnam, full of mutual understanding and respect. The three artists, with their photographs brimming with humanity, appreciation, and emotion, demonstrate that photography, beyond its function of documentation, can also become a bridge between cultures, a universal language connecting stories and generations.
The exhibition runs until November 30th.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/viet-nam-nhung-nam-1970-1990-qua-goc-nhin-cua-cac-nhiep-anh-gia-phap-722517.html
Source : Vietnam.vn
