SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2026 · BERLIN
KIỀU LESEN – READING KIỀU
A multilingual, multidisciplinary reading series around the Truyện Kiều.
Saturdays: 12.9 / 31.10 / 21.11 / 5.12
parallelgesellschaft × Galerie Nord
Turmstraße 75, 10551 Berlin-Moabit
Self-organized, volunteer-run. Free admission, donations welcome.
Registration appreciated ↗
Truyện Kiều – The Tale of Kiều – is one of the most celebrated works of Vietnamese literature. In the West, it remains barely known. What does it have to say to us now?
Over 15 years, Thúy Kiều is sold, traded, and betrayed. She loves against the rules of her time, takes revenge, despairs – and returns, changed. Since Nguyễn Du adapted its plot from a Chinese novel, the poem has been made over many times: claimed for Vietnamese nation-building, reread for what it says about women, recited by heart even by people who could not read, consulted for divination, and translated into more than 20 languages. In diaspora families, it is often passed down as no more than a single remembered line.
Kiều Lesen – Reading Kiều is a reading circle open to anyone curious about the poem – with or without prior knowledge of it. Sessions move between introduction, close reading, practice, and film, across German, Vietnamese, and English.
This small series is organized on a volunteer basis by members of the Tracing Kiều team and its network. Visual concept and graphic design for Session #1: Lan Linh Lê. Illustration from Das Mädchen Kiều by Claudia Borchers. With thanks to the collective parallelgesellschaft × Galerie Nord for hosting the series free of charge.
SESSION 1 · SAT 12.09.2026, 17:00–19:00
Hoa Trôi
Drifting Flower
The condition of drifting
The series opened with traditional Vietnamese music by the Lotus Ensemble and an introduction by Dr. Trương Hồng Quang to Truyện Kiều, the image of hoa trôi, and ngâm Kiều, the traditional way of reciting the poem.
In Hoa Trôi, a hybrid poetry performance conceived by Dạ Thảo Phương, the drifting flower became a way to ask what happens to us as we move between places, languages and stages of life. Passages from Nguyễn Du’s poem moved between Vietnamese, German, and English voices, live painting with chữ Nôm, and percussion.
With: Lotus Ensemble, Trương Hồng Quang, Dạ Thảo Phương, Phạm Quỳnh Nga, Amelie Mai Gottsmann, Alisa Anh Kotmair, and the audience.
SESSION 2 · SAT 31.10.2026, 17:00–19:00
Băng lối vườn khuya
Crossing the night garden
Freedom / Love / Constraint
What does freedom mean when our choices are constrained, and what role does love play?
The session centers on a sequence in which Thúy Kiều’s life changes course: first, she boldly crosses the garden at night to meet Kim Trọng; soon after, her family is falsely accused, her father is extorted, and she decides to sacrifice her future with Kim to secure her father’s release.
An artistic sequence conceived by Dạ Thảo Phương brings together music, readings from Truyện Kiều, contemporary poetry, and images. Afterward, we’ll read selected verses together and discuss the questions they raise.
With: Đặng Ngọc Long, Mai Firsching, Tobias Firsching, Lưu Bích Ngọc, Alisa Anh Kotmair, Amelie Mai Gottsmann, Dạ Thảo Phương, Hoàng Đăng Lãnh, Marcus Mạnh Cường Vũ, JP Bouzac, Claudia Borchers
SESSION 3 · SAT 21.11.2026, 17:00–19:00
Sự nào tại ta
What fault is mine?
Justice / Complicity
Who bears responsibility for the harm we do, allow, or suffer?
Kiều is deceived and exploited, while those around her make promises, look away, or justify their actions. Years later, she sits in judgment over those who wronged her. But what is just, and who is responsible?
The evening opens with a screening of Stinkfrucht (Taste of Home) (dir. Âni Võ, 2022, 30 min., original German and Vietnamese with English subtitles), a short drama about friendship, dependency, and labor exploitation. A reading of selected passages from Truyện Kiều and a group discussion follow.
SESSION 4 · SAT 5.12.2026, 17:00–19:00
Ba bảy đường
Three or seven paths
Roles / Relations
Which of our roles do we choose, and which are chosen for us?
Thúy Kiều moves through many roles in the poem: daughter, sister, lover, courtesan, concubine, servant, judge, nun, wife. They seem to contradict one another, yet they belong to one person.
The final session takes these roles as a starting point for an open evening on the expectations of family, generation, and culture, and the different ways we live with them. Alongside readings from Truyện Kiều and music, everyone is welcome to share a poem, short text, or song of their own, or a favorite piece of writing or music that speaks to the evening’s themes. You’re equally welcome to simply listen and join the conversation.
If you have an idea or questions about contributing, feel free to get in touch.