Vietnam: The Art of War, in partnership with Witness Collection, one of the largest collections of Vietnamese art in the world, started publishing videos in 2019. During numerous visits to Vietnam, we conducted interviews in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, capturing the stories of Vietnam’s wartime artists in their own words for the modern day.
In post-production, the collected footage is cut and spliced with rare photographs supplied by the interviewees, as well as their own art works. These short expository documentary videos will form the basis of a three-part feature series in the future. Stay tuned for new videos by subscribing to our channel here.
We would like to thank all the participating artists for generously sharing their time to make this video project possible.
Nguyễn Xuân Tiệp remembers his evacuation from Hanoi during Operation Rolling Thunder and living in the Vietnamese countryside.
Nguyễn Xuân Tiệp was sent to Vietnam’s northern border to document the conflict with China in 1979.
Võ Xưởng tells of his experiences working as an artist during the 1972 Easter offensive along Route 13.
Trưóng Hiếu explains how his artistic talent was recognised after being badly injured and recuperating at a medical centre.
Võ Xưởng recounts his memories of the 1968 Tết Offensive, travelling on foot throughout South Vietnam.
Bùi Quang Ánh on one novel way in which the North Vietnamese government protected their precious ammunition supplies.
Quách Văn Phong recounts his time with the People’s Army of Vietnam’s Battalion 840 in Phước Long Province.
Nguyễn Thanh Minh on the three-month field trips art students took as part of their course at the Vietnam Fine Arts College.
Bằng Lâm‘s memory of the legacy Ho Chi Minh left on his family while living with them in Thailand.
Phạm Thanh Tâm relives the joy he shared with his compatriots of emerging victorious at the battle of Điện Biên Phủ.
Nguyễn Xuân Tiệp recounts his experience of living with border defence forces on Vietnam’s northern border.
Nguyễn Thị Kim Thái was required to take dangerous field trips as part of her studies at the Vietnam Fine Arts College.
Trưóng Hiếu, like other artists, joined North Vietnamese forces on the final push into Saigon in April 1975.
Trưóng Hiếu joined an engineering unit of the People’s Army of Vietnam. He would not be recognised as an artist until later.
Nguyễn Ðức Thọ describes his personal experience participating in the Route 9-Southern Laos Campaign.
Bùi Quang Ánh revisits a medical station near Ta Le, run by a doctor who his duty to the soldiers above his own professional career.
While living with Battalion 840, Quách Văn Phong overlooked Cam Ranh Airforce Base, an important US foothold in Vietnam.
Bằng Lâm joined the Vientam People’s Navy in 1972, assigned to work for the Naval Training Bureau.
Phạm Thanh Tâm’s personal account of the hardships and sacrifices endured during battle of Điện Biên Phủ.
Phạm Thanh Tâm‘s early education prepared him for the resistance against French colonial rule as an artist and journalist.
Nguyễn Xuân Tiệp describes the fighting on the northern border during the Sino-Vietnamese conflict.
Phạm Lực entered the fray as a war artist during a pivotal moment – during the Second Battle of Quảng Trị.
Trưóng Hiếu fought with Regiment 88 along the southern Vietnam border with Cambodia during the US’ secret bombing campaign.
Trưóng Hiếu describes the dangerous ordeal of living, fighting and making art in and around the Củ Chi tunnels.
Nguyễn Ðức Thọ joined the final push resulting in the Liberation of Saigon, featured by foreign a journalist from Germany.
Nguyễn Ðức Thọ talks about Hanoi’s missile defence system in the wake of Operation Rolling Thunder.
Bùi Quang Ánh tells of his career documenting the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the scenes he experienced along the way.
Quách Văn Phòng on the Raglai ethnic minority and their improvised weapons and fighting tactics.
Bằng Lâm marched down Route 9 soon after joining the People’s Army of Vietnam, to the battlefields of Khe Sanh and southern Laos.
Phạm Thanh Tâm marched from Cao Bằng on Vietnam’s northern border with China to Điện Biên Phủ.
Welcome to the introductory video to Vietnam: The Art of War, supported by Witness Collection.