Dy Saveth, Cambodian movie actress of the golden years of the 1960s and 1970s.Film Journal International
Matthew Robinson, founder of Khmer Mekong Films (KMF), maintains there is no Cambodian film industry to speak of. “How can there be a film industry if there are no cinemas to show the films in?” he asks. Robinson set up KMF in 2006 with the specific intention of making quality feature films for the Cambodian market.
“At that stage, there were many more cinemas than there are now,” he says. “We thought that there was a reasonable chance that if we made quality films that appealed to the Cambodian audience, then we would get our money back. We thought there was a chance to show them internationally and take off as a film company,” he explains. “But plans change.”
According to Robinson, the film industry has collapsed partly due to the rise in real estate prices that transformed many cinemas into more profitable hotels and clubs. “Filmmakers stopped making films,” he notes. Currently, there are only two commercial cinemas left in Phnom Penh: Cinema Lux and Sorya.
“People used to crowd to Phnom Penh from the provinces to go to the cinema,” remembers veteran Cambodian film star Dy Saveth. “The industry had a lot of support from the audience,” she says. “There was only one TV channel, no karaoke, no cable TV, so there was a lot of interest in making and watching films.”
Ly Bun Yim, one of few film directors from the golden years of the Cambodian film industry who survived the Khmer Rouge, agrees: "The industry was very competitive at the time, with as many as 30 cinemas in Phnom Penh only. All producers wanted to make quality films to attract audiences. That’s why a very developed movie industry emerged,” he observes. “The actors and actresses were very skilled and very professional, not like today when many short-lived ‘stars’ are simply promoted by some rich people. Back then the stars were very famous.”
Matthew Robinson, founder of Khmer Mekong Films (KMF), maintains there is no Cambodian film industry to speak of. “How can there be a film industry if there are no cinemas to show the films in?” he asks. Robinson set up KMF in 2006 with the specific intention of making quality feature films for the Cambodian market.
“At that stage, there were many more cinemas than there are now,” he says. “We thought that there was a reasonable chance that if we made quality films that appealed to the Cambodian audience, then we would get our money back. We thought there was a chance to show them internationally and take off as a film company,” he explains. “But plans change.”
According to Robinson, the film industry has collapsed partly due to the rise in real estate prices that transformed many cinemas into more profitable hotels and clubs. “Filmmakers stopped making films,” he notes. Currently, there are only two commercial cinemas left in Phnom Penh: Cinema Lux and Sorya.
“People used to crowd to Phnom Penh from the provinces to go to the cinema,” remembers veteran Cambodian film star Dy Saveth. “The industry had a lot of support from the audience,” she says. “There was only one TV channel, no karaoke, no cable TV, so there was a lot of interest in making and watching films.”
Ly Bun Yim, one of few film directors from the golden years of the Cambodian film industry who survived the Khmer Rouge, agrees: "The industry was very competitive at the time, with as many as 30 cinemas in Phnom Penh only. All producers wanted to make quality films to attract audiences. That’s why a very developed movie industry emerged,” he observes. “The actors and actresses were very skilled and very professional, not like today when many short-lived ‘stars’ are simply promoted by some rich people. Back then the stars were very famous.”
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