Not funny, but sad…
Contemporary Cambodian film production has come to an almost complete halt. But if a new movie comes out that hits the nerve of the people, it does not have to be particularly smart or well-executed to draw large crowds. “The 25-Year-old Girl” is currently filling both the old Lux Cinema as well as Chenla Hall, and I had the unusual experience of watching a Cambodian film (with English subtitles) in an almost sold-out cinema. The “most romantic comedy” of 2012, as the distributor calls it, is not particular funny and has plot holes so big that one could drive a car through. But it got many belly laughs from the mostly teenage audience. And it contains, almost as an afterthought, some observations about contemporary Cambodia that are surprisingly on the spot.
A dying breed: A Cinema painter in Phnom Penh
Kong Sam Ouern and Vichara Dany, as seen by “Rose Painter” in Beung Keng Kak III
Memories of Cambodian Cinema
An exhibition about the Golden Age of Cambodian Cinema is currently on display at Bophana, the media archive in Phnom Penh. More here.
Five Khmer Rock Favorites
Here are some Khmer rock songs from the 1960s that I grew fond of during the work on the magazine “Dontrey. The Music of Cambodia” with my students at the Department of Media and Communication at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Presentation of music magazine “Dontrey. The Music of Cambodia”
Last night my students and I launched our new music magazine Dontrey. The Music of Cambodia. Here are some pictures and two video clips from the evening, that included performances by some of our students as well as veteran musicians Svay Sor and Menh Sothyvann. The evening was a heart-warming affair. More and better photos are on our Facebook page.
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Cambodian media students launch their new music magazine “Dontrey. The Music of Cambodia”
Dontrey. The Music of Cambodia
Students of the Department of Media and Communication (DMC) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) have created the magazine DONTREY: THE MUSIC OF CAMBODIA.
It is a sweeping overview of the rich musical traditions of the country from ancient tribal music to the internationally renowned Khmer rock of the 1960s to the pop music of today. For the launch, we will have some musical performances.
Free admission.
The magazine will be available for a reduced price.
After the launch, “Dontrey. The Music of Cambodia” will be available at Monument Books, International Book Center, Peace Book Center and other book shops in Phnom Penh for $ 1,50.
Saturday, October 15
7:00 p.m
Meta House, #37 Sothearos Boulevard, Songkhat Tonle Bassak, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
ការសម្ភោធន៏ ទស្សនាវដ្តីតន្រ្តី របស់ក្រុមនិស្សិតខ្មែរផ្នែកសារពត៌មាន
ក្រុមនិស្សិត ផ្នែកប្រព័ន្ឋផ្សព្វផ្សាយ និងសារគមនាគមន៏ នៃសាកលវិទ្យាល័យភូមិន្ទភ្នំពេញ
បានបង្កើតទស្សនាវដ្តីមួយឈ្មោះថា តន្រ្តីខ្មែរ។ ក្នុងទស្សនាវដ្តីនេះ មានការពណ៌នាដោយ
សង្ខេបពីឧបករណ៏តន្រ្តីបុរាណដ៏មានតំលៃរបស់កម្ពុជាតាំងពីបុរាណកាល តន្រ្តីជាលក្ខណៈអន្តរជាតិដ៏ល្បីល្បាញដែលត្រូវបានស្គាល់ថា ខ្មែររ៉ុក(Khmer Rock) នាទស្សវត្សឆ្នាំ៦០ និងមានតន្ត្រីសម័យបច្ចុប្បន្នផងដែរ។
នៅថ្ងៃសម្ភោធ យើងនឹងមានការសម្តែងនូវឧបករណ៏តន្រ្តីមួយចំនួនផងដែរ។
ចូលរួមទស្សនាដោយសេរី។
ទស្សនាវដ្តី តន្ត្រីខ្មែរ នឹងមានការបញ្ចុះតម្លៃក្នុងថ្ងៃសម្ភោធ។
បន្ទាប់ពីថ្ងៃសម្ភោធ អាចរកទិញទស្សនាវដ្តី តន្រ្តីខ្មែរ បាននៅ Monument Books, បណ្តាគារអន្តរជាតិ បណ្តាគារសន្តិភាព និងបណ្តាគារផ្សេងទៀតក្នុងទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញ ដែលមានតម្លៃ ១.៥០ដុល្លា។
កាលបរិច្ឆេទៈ ថ្ងៃសៅរ៏ ទី១៥ ខែតុលា
ពេលវេលាៈ ម៉ោង ៧ល្ងាច
អាស័យដ្ឋានៈ នៅ មេត្តាហោស៏ ផ្ទះលេខ ៣៧ មហាវិថីសុធារស សង្កាត់ទន្លេបាសាក់
ខណ្ឌចំការមន ភ្នំពេញ។
My new job
The (Top-Secret) Websites Of The Two New Cinemas In Phnom Penh
As a service to the readers of this blog, here are the websites of the newly opened cineplexes in Phnom Penh, that for some reason are almost impossible to find with regular search engines:
Cineplex in Sorya Shopping Center
Legend Cinema in City Shopping Mall
The Cine Lux, Phnom Penh’s last surviving original cinema, does not have a website and most probably never will have one. Which adds to its twisted charm…
Rithy Panh’s Gibier D’Elevage
When I went to the Bophana media archive in Phnom Penh today to poke around in their splendid collection, I ran into a large crowd, that was waiting to see the rough cut of the new film of Bophana’s founder, film director Rithy Panh. It was organized for the crew, but I was kindly let in to watch Gibier D’Elevage nevertheless. Read more…
A Visit to the Thai Film Archive
During the summer, I used a stop-over in Bangkok to finally pay the Thai Film Archive a visit. It was great and absolutely worth the long trip from downtown Bangkok (almost one hour on the bus to Salaya…). Read more…
