Story Daytime Nightlife Bonus
Exploration of Saigon is a series of musical videos exploring the streets and byways of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam, part of the Location Scouting Project. Shot between 2019 and 2021 and entirely produced on mobile phone, these videos are a testimony to the vibrant atmosphere of the Vietnamese economic capital, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Story | The first day of the rest of my life
In 2019, after an initiatory trip to China, I continued my journey in Asia by moving south to Saigon, Vietnam, in order to discover new territories and talents. At the intersection of two pivotal phases in my life, I was not only looking to continue my learning through immersion and adaptation, but also to renew my creative practice and my professional commitment. Although partially disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, these two years proved invaluable: a period of reflection, significant encounters, prolific video production, musical exploration, the development of new skills and the discovery of untapped potential.
Night and day
For a more immersive experience, Saigon is portrayed both by day and by night. The days are illuminated by a special light that is quite amazing to shoot in, and the nights offer a unique social and cultural dynamic. When you’re settling into a new city and looking to make new connexions, going out at night is always a good idea. As in Paris or Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City’s nightlife is a vibrant crossroads where people from all over the world, from all backgrounds and professions, meet. The final two bonus videos illustrate pretty well this phenomenon.
Production method
In Vietnam, I followed the same process I had previously applied in China for the production of the series Shanghai Micro-Stories and SAGB Video Party Tapes : producing short videos dedicated to social media (no longer than one minute), entirely captured and edited on mobile phone. However, with more time at my disposal, I’ve tried to revise my own standards, striving to strike a balance between the aesthetic of spontaneity and “homemade” – reflecting the origins of my practice, and slightly polished content that I can put on YouTube and see again in 10 years’ time without blushing.
Saigon by day
Vietnamese food
© Soic Miterne | Vietnamese food
Streets of Saigon
© Soic Miterne | Streets of Saigon
Bécanes in Saigon
© Soic Miterne | Bécanes in Saigon
HCMC Fine Arts Museum
© Soic Miterne | HCMC Fine Arts Museum
The secret garden
© Soic Miterne | The secret garden
Street birthday celebration
© Soic Miterne | Street birthday celebration
Farewell party
© Soic Miterne | Farewell party
Saigon by night
© Soic Miterne | PIU PIU Block Parties
PIU PIU Block Parties – The hip-hop renaissance
Having grown up in Paris, immersed in the birthplace of French hip-hop, I found myself falling back in love with the genre, this time through the lens of Vietnam’s rising underground movement. At the PIU PIU block parties, curated by DJ Bobby D and DJ Scarry Potter, I felt something rare and unforgettable: a charged atmosphere, alive with possibility, echoing the birth of hip-hop in 70-80s New York.
PEOPLE of PIU PIU
© Soic Miterne | PEOPLE of PIU PIU
PIU PIU Block Party – The Blackout
© Soic Miterne | PIU PIU Block Party – The Blackout
PIU PIU Block Party – Summer Spirit
© Soic Miterne | PIU PIU Block Party – Summer Spirit
We Are Monkeys (WAM)
© Soic Miterne | We Are Monkey (WAM)
Café des Stagiaires
© Soic Miterne | Café des Stagiaires
Broma : Not a Bar
© Soic Miterne | Broma : Not a Bar
Bibulous, Drinking and Healing
Saigon’s KTV
Bonus
SOIC Radio
Madam Kew Saigon
© Soic Miterne | Madam Kew Saigon
© 2019-2021 Soic Miterne | Exploration of Saigon, Vietnam.