[Video] Coi: A Creative Plea for Less Horn-Honking on Saigon’s Streets

Vietnamese traffic has a bad reputation among both local and foreign drivers for its chaotic nature. From sidewalk driving to texting behind the wheel and creative interpretations of local street signs, urban roadways in particular can be a hair-raising place. But in his new short called Coi, animator Triet Le aims to tackle just one of the many traffic-related phenomenon in Vietnam: honking.

The 9X animator, who is also the creator of popular short Little Wonders, chose to cover this topic in his three-minute short, which depicts motorists using their voices to honk at one another as they drive along.

“I think my frustration built up over the years until I had to find an outlet to relieve it,” Le tells Saigoneer via email. The Tay Ninh province native credits his father’s responsible driving habits for his own heightened awareness of noise pollution.

As far as animation goes, Le sees his short as an opportunity to reach many people through a quick, easily digestible medium.

“I think short films, especially animated shorts, provide an immediate, low-risk and low-cost medium to express ideas, tell stories and experiment,” he continues.

So far, the response to Le’s animation has been largely positive, he says, and it turns out several viewers have taken away at least one thing from the film.

“What surprises me the most is that people start “honking” verbally after watching the film,” says Le.

Watch Le’s latest animation below – and please, lay off the horn.

[Video via YouTube user Triet Le]

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