Cambodia Dreams

Last night, all the Cambodian television channels were tuned into the fortunes of matriarch Yan Chheing and her extended family as Stanley Harper's film, Cambodia Dreams received an unprecedented simultaneous showing across the country. Twenty years in the making, this sentimental look at Yan's struggles in the Site 2 refugee camp in Thailand and her daughter's hard life in a small village in Battambang before the two were reconciled, was a triumph for Harper's dogged determination to tell their story and a window into the strength of character of spirited Cambodian women like Yan and her daughter Tha. It delved into the nitty gritty of village life in Cambodia against the parallel of the hand-out culture prevalent in the border camps, with Yan voicing a series of insightful views on life and work. She was undoubtedly the star of the film and has since been honoured by the government for her love of Cambodia and her unwavering work ethic.

Changing themes, there's an Apsara classical dance show by students of the Royal University of Fine Arts at the Art Cafe this evening. It kicks off at 7pm, so count me in. The Art Cafe is on Street 108, not too far from Phsa Chas.
Tomorrow evening (Saturday), Meta House will screen a couple of films by Director Peter Degen focusing on Cambodia and its life-sources, the Mekong and Tonle Sap. Mekong - The Mother is a 45-minute feature looking at the Mekong River through its people, whilst the 52-minute docu When The Floods Recede, focuses on the fishermen and women who depend on the abundant supply of fish in the Tonle Sap.