Mao Ayuth: The Crocodile (2005) Review

Screening of "The Crocodile" at Chenla Theatre

The Crocodile (2005) by veteran director Mao Ayuth is the kind of quality film that contemporary Cambodian cinema is sadly lacking. It is a respectable attempt to make a entertaining movie about a relevant topic.

The film was shot on a budget of over $ 100.000 (which makes it the most expensive Cambodian film ever!), and it shows. The production values are low, yet the film makers make up for it with good ideas and over-all integrity.

Poster of The Crocodile

Somehow, the producers have managed to keep their film from the Black Market, and as no pirated versions of the film are available, the audience has to go to a cinema to see it. And they do, as a series of revival screenings of the movie at the beautiful, 60ies Chenla Theatre by Vann Molivann during the Water Festival proved. The venue was packed with an enthusiastic audience that seemed spell-bound by the story of a crocodile hunter who uses his own son as bait.

As these pictures show, the Cambodian audience will come to see well-made films that speak to their interests.

Crowd at Screening of The Crocodile