Berlin exhibition reflects on Vietnam War’s lasting echoes
Fifty years after Vietnam’s reunification on April 30, 1975, an exhibition titled “Vietnam 75 – A Historical Reflection on the Vietnam War” has opened at Berlin’s Babylon cinema, offering a vivid window into one of the most defining periods in Vietnam’s history against invaders.
The display, blending paintings and photos, draws international audiences and the Vietnamese community in Germany into an emotional reckoning with Vietnam’s struggle for independence.
Curated by Claudia Opitz, Peter Steiniger, and Sebastian Köpcke, “Vietnam 75” presents a chronological narrative of the war through the eyes of artists and photographers who lived through or deeply studied the war. The works capture the anguish, iron will, and resilience of a nation under siege, from the early days of revolutionary movement to the great victory on April 30, 1975.
No artwork can fully convey the horrors of war, but this exhibition is an attempt to honour the Vietnamese people’s decades-long fight, Opitz said.
The curators also pay tribute to international voices of solidarity, including East German documentary filmmakers Heynowski & Scheumann and photographer Thomas Billhardt, whose searing images brought the war’s realities to the world.
The exhibition is accompanied by screenings of classic Vietnamese revolutionary films, including Chi Tu Hau (Sister Tu Hau), Em be Ha Noi (The Little Girl of Hanoi), and Lan Song Moi ( New Wave), subtitled in Vietnamese, English, and German. These showings have resonated deeply with the Vietnamese community in Germany, particularly younger generations s seeking to reconnect with their roots.
Photo exhibitions celebrate 50 years of reunification, and Vietnam’s progress
A series of photo exhibitions is underway in Ho Chi Minh City, capturing the spirit of the historic Spring 1975 Victory and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification as well as the 135th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh.
