http://www.concordy.com
April 18, 2013
On April 10, French Filmmaker Davy Chou presented his documentary film Golden Slumbers in Reamer Auditorium.
Guided by a passion for film but lacking a formal cinematic
education, Chou travelled to Cambodia to create a documentary inspired
by his grandfather, a Cambodian film producer. Chou filmed stories from
actors, filmmakers, cinephiles and his grandfather’s colleagues.
His project took a turn after he unearthed more than just family
history; he discovered the volatile and violent past of the Cambodian
film industry. While Cambodian film flourished in the 1960s, its “Golden
Age” came to an end with the rise of the totalitarian Khmer Rouge in
1975. The xenophobic regime implemented a systematic four-year
eradication of western cultural influences, especially Cambodian cinema.
Over 400 films were destroyed, not to mention the lives of 1.7 million
people, including prominent actors and filmmakers.
Chou’s film is not merely a recognition of the destruction of
Cambodia’s cinematic heritage, but rather a tribute to the enduring
memories of Cambodia’s lost films. Chou shows audiences traces of
classic films, which survive today in the songs played at karaoke clubs
and on YouTube channels, in salvaged pictures and posters and, most
powerfully, in the memories of cinephiles who fell in love with these
films and continue to share their stories.
Though a monumental chapter of its cinematic past is gone forever,
Cambodia’s filmmaking industry is steadily recovering. Chou is one of a
handful of young filmmakers who are exploring the nation’s past and its
social issues through documentary film. Golden Slumbers is a
mark of the continuing legacy of Cambodian filmmaking, and makes an
encouraging addition to the nation’s cinematic heritage.
In his fascinating and often emotional film, Chou paints our
imagination with the colorful style of classic Cambodian cinema and
demonstrates the optimistic power of memory in the face of loss.
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