As subjects for documentaries go, a dancer who hasn't really done a whole lot with his life so far isn't, on paper, the most arresting story you can tell. And while the final product, a tale of one boy's journey from Cambodia to New York and beyond, isn't going to set the world aflame, it's a sweet tale of his dreams almost instantly coming true - through a lot of hard work and some faith on the part of his mentors.
In 2000, Director Anne Bass took a trip to Cambodia, and discovered Sokvannara Sar, a sixteen year-old boy dancing in the ruins of Angkor Wat. With his parents' permission, Bass took the boy, nicknamed Sy, to America, where he first trained in ballet in New York, before moving to Seattle to join a company and quickly moving up the ranks.
Hinged on a return visit Sy takes to Cambodia, the film jumps through time, showing how he used to live and dance, versus the strict structure of American ballet. There are a few potential climaxes in the film, including a triumphant return to Cambodia, dancing in front of the whole country; a ballet competition in Bulgaria; and a performance with Phillip Glass. But the doc is far more interested in the idea that Sy has a continuing journey, rather than making any sort of definitive statement.
This may have something to do with the director's closeness to the subject. It results in some very intimate conversations, like the one's between Bass, Sy, and his most frequent teacher Olga Kostritzky. But it also leads to a lack of narrative flow, or a chance to really explore other subjects that might have pushed the comfort levels a bit.
In particular, there's a lot of talk about Cambodia's history with the Khmer Rouge, and how it affected the artistic culture. This aspect of the film is occasionally woven into the narrative, presenting a picture of a country slowly repairing itself. And on Sy's return trip and subsequent performance, which was broadcast on television to the entire country, there's a fascinating clip where Sy's father expresses that he's proud of him, but really wishes he was an engineer at a company, or a doctor, rather than wasting his time on dance. Bass, far more familiar with the politics and intricacies of American dance culture, sadly ignores the more interesting aspects of Cambodian culture, to the film's deficit.
And it's also curious, for a documentary of this type, to focus on a subject who is so undeveloped. Pretty much every subject says that Sy may do great things someday, but he's not quite there yet. It doesn't completely work, but it can't be called a failure, either. Sy is clearly an earnest, unpretentious subject aware of his limitations and looking to learn more. Someday, he'll create a unique dance style that perfectly fuses American ballet and Cambodian dance. Hopefully, when that day comes, Bass will revisit and revamp this raw blueprint of a documentary.
In 2000, Director Anne Bass took a trip to Cambodia, and discovered Sokvannara Sar, a sixteen year-old boy dancing in the ruins of Angkor Wat. With his parents' permission, Bass took the boy, nicknamed Sy, to America, where he first trained in ballet in New York, before moving to Seattle to join a company and quickly moving up the ranks.
Hinged on a return visit Sy takes to Cambodia, the film jumps through time, showing how he used to live and dance, versus the strict structure of American ballet. There are a few potential climaxes in the film, including a triumphant return to Cambodia, dancing in front of the whole country; a ballet competition in Bulgaria; and a performance with Phillip Glass. But the doc is far more interested in the idea that Sy has a continuing journey, rather than making any sort of definitive statement.
This may have something to do with the director's closeness to the subject. It results in some very intimate conversations, like the one's between Bass, Sy, and his most frequent teacher Olga Kostritzky. But it also leads to a lack of narrative flow, or a chance to really explore other subjects that might have pushed the comfort levels a bit.
In particular, there's a lot of talk about Cambodia's history with the Khmer Rouge, and how it affected the artistic culture. This aspect of the film is occasionally woven into the narrative, presenting a picture of a country slowly repairing itself. And on Sy's return trip and subsequent performance, which was broadcast on television to the entire country, there's a fascinating clip where Sy's father expresses that he's proud of him, but really wishes he was an engineer at a company, or a doctor, rather than wasting his time on dance. Bass, far more familiar with the politics and intricacies of American dance culture, sadly ignores the more interesting aspects of Cambodian culture, to the film's deficit.
And it's also curious, for a documentary of this type, to focus on a subject who is so undeveloped. Pretty much every subject says that Sy may do great things someday, but he's not quite there yet. It doesn't completely work, but it can't be called a failure, either. Sy is clearly an earnest, unpretentious subject aware of his limitations and looking to learn more. Someday, he'll create a unique dance style that perfectly fuses American ballet and Cambodian dance. Hopefully, when that day comes, Bass will revisit and revamp this raw blueprint of a documentary.
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