Cinema of Cambodia
Cinema of Cambodia | |
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No. of screens | 12 (2011)[1] |
• Per capita | 0.1 per 100,000 (2011)[1] |
Main distributors | Reasmei Peanmeas 35.0% Westech Media 30.0% Sunday 11.0%[2] |
Produced feature films (2005-2009)[3] | |
Total | 38 (average) |
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Culture of Cambodia |
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Cinema in Cambodia began in the 1950s, and many films were being screened in theaters throughout the country by the 1960s, which are regarded as the "golden age". After a near-disappearance during the Khmer Rouge regime, competition from video and television has meant that the Cambodian film industry is a small one.
History
The early years
As early as 1899, short
Sun Bun Ly's first film was Kar Pear Prumjarei Srei Durakut (Protect Virginity). He also established the first private production company, Ponleu Neak Poan Kampuchea. His success inspired others, such as Ly Bun Yim, to try their hand.[4]
The golden age
In the 1960s, several production companies were started and more movie theaters were built throughout the country. This was the "golden age" of Cambodian cinema, when more than 300 movies were made.
During the Golden Age, some Cambodian films were released abroad. and during the 1970s they were well received internationally.
The star of Pos Keng Kang, actress
Sihanouk (then a prince) also made films, which he wrote, directed and produced himself. They were mostly romantic melodramas with an underlying social message. A cinema fan since his student days in Saigon in the 1930s, he released his first feature, Apsara, on August 8, 1966. He made eight more films during the next three years, serving as producer, director, writer, composer and star. His other films during this period include Ombre Sur Angkor (1967), Rose de Bokor, Crepuscule (Twilight) (1969) and Joie de vivre.[4] His 1967 film Spellbound Wood was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival.[7][8]
Khmer Rouge and the Communist era
In the years leading up to the takeover by the
The industry's decline began in late 1974, when the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge was imminent. After the Khmer Rouge takeover, the cities were depopulated and film audiences shrank. The Khmer Rouge itself made some propaganda films to screen at collective meetings, and diplomatic visits were recorded on film.
With the invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam, the fall of the Khmer Rouge and the installation of the Vietnam-backed government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, movie houses in Phnom Penh were re-opened, but there was no domestic film industry, because many filmmakers and actors from the 1960s and 1970s had been killed by the Khmer Rouge or had fled the country. Negatives and prints of many films were destroyed, stolen, or missing. Many of the films that did survive are in poor condition, as there has been no effort at preservation.
Cinema in Cambodia at this time consisted of films from
Cambodia's film industry began a slow comeback starting with
The boom in filmmaking was curtailed, however, by the introduction of
Slow comeback
From 1990 to 1994, hundreds of local Cambodian movies were released every year. The majority of films released at the time were all made in 1993, during the time of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). The period of plenty ended in 1994 due to the governments demand over Cambodian movies being incomparable to foreign films.[clarification needed] In 1995, most Cambodian production turned to karaoke, and by 1996, HD cameras had become widely available in Cambodia. Since the early 1990s, the local industry has started a slow comeback.
One sign of progress is the career of French-trained director
Unlike other diaspora filmmakers, Cambodian filmmaker-producer Chhay Bora lives and works full-time in Cambodia. His recent drama Lost Loves was submitted for a 2013 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2001, Fai Sam Ang directed Kon pous keng kang (The Snake King's Child), a remake of a classic 1960s Cambodian film. Though it was a Thai co-production, starring Thai leading man Winai Kraibutr, it was recognized as the first Cambodian film to be released since before the Khmer Rouge era. At the time, Phnom Penh did not yet have any viable commercial cinemas, so the film was screened at the French Cultural Center in Phnom Penh and in outdoor screenings, as well as in a widespread commercial release in Thailand cinemas.
The
Recent developments
A national film festival was held in November 2005. Many of the films shown were locally made low-budget horror films such as Lady Vampire, which depicts the krasue, a ghostly flying female head with internal organs dangling beneath it. Lady Vampire and Ghost Banana Tree were the hit horror films since the resurgence of the Cambodian film industry. The trophy for best movie went to The Crocodile, a tale of the heroism of a man who killed the beast responsible for the deaths of several people in his village.[9] It starred Cambodian pop singer Preap Sovath and veteran actress Dy Saveth. The Second prize went to a legendary Khmer fantasy film, Moranak Meada, and the third was won by the true-life drama Gratefulness.
Other recent films include Tum Teav, a 16th- and 18th-century Cambodian folktale, and A Mother's Heart and Who Am I?, both by Pan Phuong Bopha, one of the first working female writer-directors in Cambodia.[5] She started her career in 1989 with horror and romance movies before achieving success with Who Am I?, who became a "blockbuster" in Cambodia and was appreciated abroad.[10] Another notable female Cambodian director is Lida Chan, who specializes in films and documentaries about the Khmer Rouge, and achieved success in 2012 with the award-winning Red Wedding.[11]
The creation of the Cambodia Film Commission in 2009 by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Film France, under the observation of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, offers new possibilities for filmmakers to explore Cambodia's numerous film-worthy locations. However, the Cinema and Cultural Diffusion Department, the official office of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, remains the official first point of contact for foreign producers seeking permits and filming information in Cambodia.
In middle of 2011, Phnom Penh started to see a major change in the cinema scene. Two major malls opened up cinema outlets offering international films in English with Khmer subtitles.
Cambodia's first science fiction film Karmalink was released in 2023.[12]
Foreign films made in Cambodia
Cambodia's Angkor Wat was the location for the filming of 1965's Lord Jim, starring Peter O'Toole, but it was not until the early 21st century that foreign filmmakers made their return to the country.
The best-known depiction of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge years,
Since the reopening of Cambodia to international tourism, high-profile directors such as Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg and director/producer Brendan Moriarty have scouted Cambodia for locations. The 2001 action blockbuster Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was shot on location around Angkor, and its star, Angelina Jolie, became so enamored of the country that she adopted a Cambodian boy named Maddox and lived there for a time. Other films shot on location around Angkor include Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (which also includes film footage of the 1966 visit of Charles de Gaulle to Phnom Penh) and Two Brothers by Jean-Jacques Annaud in 2003. Matt Dillon's 2002 drama, City of Ghosts, was filmed in many locations around the country, including Phnom Penh and the Bokor Hill Station. Moriarty's war film The Road to Freedom was filmed entirely in Cambodia in the summer of 2009 and had limited release in cinemas in 2011. It tells the story of Sean and Dana, war photographers in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.
Since 2009, the Cambodia Film Commission has set up a training program to allow foreign productions to work with a local crew familiar with international standards. Since 2009 there has been a significant inflow of foreign productions filming in Cambodia. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has facilitated a number of projects from Europe, USA, Australia, Asia. The Kingdom now offers professional equipment within the country, and an increasing number of skilled Cambodian professionals for set construction, wardrobe, grips and lighting.
In 2016, Angelina Jolie directed First They Killed My Father, adapted from Lung Ung's book's memory of the Khmer Rouge Era. The film produced by Netflix was shot entirely in Cambodia in collaboration with Rithy Panh. The film was submitted as the Cambodian submission for the 90th Academy Awards.
Horror genre increasing
In recent years, horror films made on a low budget with weak special effects have become popular, especially with young audiences. A Cambodian horror film will generally feature a ghost story, old mythology and some form of revenge. Krasue is a popular subject. Films featuring ghost stories, mythology and blood rituals include Ghost Banana Tree and The Kantong Kiev Witch. Another horror film, The Haunted House, is loosely based on legend.
Cambodian horror films focus on their characters' suffering and (unlike
Films about revenge, such as
Films about monsters include
Despite the current taste for horror movies, Heng Tola believes a more serious trend is emerging, prompted in part by the resentment many Cambodians feel about its colonial past and toward powerful neighbors such as Thailand and Vietnam.[14]
The Third Khmer film festival, which took place in late 2007, banned the ghost films as a reaction to the glut of horror movies.[15]
Recent decline
By the end of 2007, audience numbers had begun to decline, and theaters and film production companies began closing down. Only 13 theaters were still operating, compared to the 30 between 1965 and 1975. Critics blamed the decline on weak acting and directing, along with poor scripts and storylines. Poor enforcement of intellectual property in Cambodia also continues to impact the country's credibility in the local and international media trade.[16][failed verification]
In 2009 the number of films released decreased from more than 60 in 2006 to less than 10, and most film directors turned to producing short films and television series rather than full movies as they had before.
Many locally made films are simple and similar low budget horror and love stories. Many Cambodians prefer international films of better quality, especially as their tickets are usually cheaper than for domestic films. Yet many Cambodians would like to see domestic films if they could reach the standard of those produced during the industry's height.
Notable films
- Tep Sodachan (1968)
- Thavory Meas Bong (1960s)
- Prea Bopear Kon (The Ghost with baby) (196?)
- Prea Krola Plak (The fire burn witch) (197?)
- Pos Keng Kang (The Snake King's Wife) (1971)
- Kraithong Kropaer Charawan (The Crocodile Man) (1971)
- Pos Keng Kang 2 (The Snake King's Wife 2) (1972)
- See Angkor and Die (1993)
- An Euil Srey An(1972)
- Preay Kontung Khiev (1972)
- Preay Kontung Khiev (1973)
- Chompa Toung (1974)
- Pramath Pramong (The Children Killer) (1974)
- Kuon Euy Madai Ahp(1980)
- Beisach Kromom (1994)
- Promatt Promong (1994)
- Rice People (1994)
- One Evening After the War (1998)
- The Land of the Wandering Souls (2000)
- The Snake King's Child (2001)
- Kohak Kmorch Tek Snech Asara Peak (The Spirit under the water and snaker's love) (2003)
- Konom Sneah Prea Krala Plak (The Triangle Love Ghost) (2003)
- The Weird Villa (2003)
- S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (2003)
- Tum Teav(2003)
- The Enternal Love (2004)
- Neang Neath (2004)
- Nieng Arp (2004)
- Burn The Witch (2004)
- Neang Pomiry (2004)
- The Weird Villa (2004)
- The Crocodile (2005)
- Chalawan Return (The Crocodile Man 3) (2005)
- Human or Ghost (2005)
- Kmorch Neang Tey (2005)
- The Ghost Hut (2005)
- Kmorch Prea Asoryka (2005)
- Myea Tola Mekong (2005)
- Prei Tak Hong (2005)
- The Snake King's Grandchild (2005)
- Moheachata (ambition) (2005)
- Ghost Banana Tree (2005)
- The Forest (2005)
- The Haunted House (2005)
- The Burnt Theatre (2005)
- Neang Poun (2006)
- Sopeal Sok Tom (2005)
- Vichean (Soul) (2005)
- Boremei Preah Barima Meas (2005)
- Vegence (2005)
- The Red Sense (2006)
- Min Maya (Love Charm)
- Neang Pbuon (2006)
- The Game (2006)
- Jnea Kmorch (2006)
- The Konthong Keav Witch (2006)
- Villa Horror(2006)
- Van Chenk Kon (Killing Pagoda) (2006)
- Kmorch Pdea Deam (Ghost of Pass Mother) (2006)
- Kmorch Lok Praleung (2006)
- Shock 24 Hours (2006)
- The Killing Phone (2006)
- Human Or Ghost (2006)
- Bankouy Si Moneah (2007)
- The Blue Moon (2007)
- Rajiny Pous (Queen Of Cobra) (2007)
- Promatt Promomg (2007)
- Boremei Jumneang Ptess (2007)
- Niseak Sneah Pi Cheat Mon
- Tiyen Arp (Heretiy of Krasue) (2007)
- Niyeat Pous (2007)
- The Waterfall of Death (2007)
- Staying Single When (2007)
- Secret Well(2007)
- The Death of water fall (2007)
- Chon Tem Kan Kmorch (Stop, Shooting a Ghost Film) (2008)
- Heart Talk (2008)
- Prea Pous (Spiritual of Snake) (2008)
- Liaek Kom Prolung (Spiritual Cave) (2008)
- Vijean Sneah (Love Soul) (2008)
- Annoyed (2008)
- Who Am I? (2009)
- Arb Kalum 2009 (The Sexilest Krasue in 2009) (2009)
- Lost Love (2010)
- 25 Years Old Girl (2012)
- First Love (2012)
- Fool in Love (2012)
- I am Super Student (2013)
- Hanuman (2015)
- Jailbreak (2017)
- First They Killed My Father (2017)
- The Clock: Spirits Awakening (2019)
- Karmalink (2021)
See also
- List of Khmer film
- Communications in Cambodia
- Media of Cambodia
- Cinema of the world
References
- ^ a b "Table 8: Cinema Infrastructure - Capacity". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Table 6: Share of Top 3 distributors (Excel)". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Average national film production". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d Cambodia Cultural Profile Archived 2006-01-18 at archive.today, Visiting Arts and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia.
- ^ a b "Cambodian films are undergoing a rebirth", Associated Press, January 6, 2006. (Retrieved from Taipei Times website on December 24, 2006.)
- ^ "Newsgroup". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
- ^ "5th Moscow International Film Festival (1967)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- ^ "Shadow Over Angkor". MTV. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ [1] Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, newsgroup.
- ^ Anchalee Chaiworaporn, "Moving Up - Women Directors and South-east Asian Cinema," in Gabrielle Kelly and Cheryl Robson, eds., Celluloid Ceiling: Women Film Directors Breaking Through, London: Aurora Metro Books, 2014, 160–178 (175).
- ^ "Documentary on forced Khmer Rouge weddings wins award". Joe Freeman, Phnom Penh Post, December 3, 2012.
- ^ Merican, Sara. "Cambodian Sci-Fi Film 'Karmalink' Spotlights Displaced Communities And Country's Tech Developments". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ "ទំនួញ បេះ ដូង នឹង បញ្ចាំង ឆាប់ ៗ « Rath Series". Archived from the original on 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2009-12-29., Naraths.
- ^ [2], Taipei Times.
- ^ "មហោស្រព ភាពយន្ត ជាតិ « រដ្ឋ series". Archived from the original on 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2009-12-29., Naraths.
- ^ "Subscription Plans". The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
External links
- Cambodia Film Office
- Cambodian Productions Archived 2020-01-12 at the Wayback Machine