Vietnam War spotlighted at France photo exhibition

The photos, taken by Vietnamese war correspondents between 1966 and 1973, describe the severity of the war as well as the bravery of Vietnamese soldiers – a decisive factor in clinching a hard-fought victory over imperialism.

Patrick Chauvel, French photo journalist, who recorded fierce battles in Vietnam during the war, expressed his admiration for Vietnamese war correspondents’ courage in snapping these pictures.

“They are both war correspondents and soldiers,” he told Vietnam News Agency. “We are very proud to introduce their story today.”

A photo by Doan Cong Tinh on display at the exhibition from August 30 to September 14

The veteran journalist said between 1966 and 1975 many foreign photo journalists came and ran coverage on the Vietnam War. Some of them, namely Larry Burrow, Duncan, Burnett, Don McCullin, Philip Jones Griffiths and Henri Huet, were known worldwide.

On this occasion, Chauvel introduced his book Photo Journalists of Northern Vietnam published by Arenes publishing house. The book gathers 140 photos taken by such war correspondents as Doan Cong Tinh, Chu Chi Thanh, Luong Nghia Dung, Minh Dao, Dau Ngoc Dan, Vu Ba, Hua Kiem and Mai Nam.

The publication also highlights Vietnam News Agency contributions to the two resistance wars against French and American aggressions in the 20^th century, with more than 260 of its reporters laying down their lives on the battlefield.

"Visa pour l'image" is held annually in Perpignan city to introduce and vote for outstanding works by journalists and professional photographers covering a variety of themes, from warfare to nature, the environment, population, and religion.

This year’s festival devotes special attention to conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria and Iraq. It has rung alarm bells about risks war correspondents face when reporting from warzones. Since the beginning of the year, approximately 70 journalists have been killed when reporting on these topics.