The Theater of Tough Beginnings

Cambodian Orphans Star in ‘Still I Strive’

By DAVID DeWITT

The New York Times, MAY 8, 2014

Photo

A scene from "Still I Thrive," directed by Adam Pfleghaar and A. Todd Smith. 

Credit

Ken Lee/Pioneer Cinema Institute

For everyone who “played pretend” as a youth, who concocted elaborate stories of homemaking, piracy or other adventure without needing the rules of basketball or Capture the Flag, something about the Cambodian documentary “Still I Strive” may touch you.

That’s the fictional part, in which the film’s real-life orphans play warriors of the spirit on a mythic journey in the natural world. That this fiction skillfully incorporates elements of the actor-orphans’ challenging histories makes for a layered viewing experience.

Earlier, and later, we meet these orphans, who live at the National Action Culture Organization group home in Phnom Penh. It helps children with difficult backgrounds, using the performing arts, particularly theater and dance. The aim is for the children to develop real expertise, not just kill time.

The innovative fictional narrative, woven throughout, demonstrates that many of these young actors have learned their lessons well. The nonfiction segments mix information and interviews with observation to illustrate the uphill battle faced by many Cambodian children, particularly those without parents.

The hybrid “Still I Strive” could offer a worthy experience for empathetic children, with the caveat that audiences should be patient; the film’s dual elements may confuse youngsters, and its somber tone may put off some. And it’s a little slow, and it’s in Khmer.

However dry (thanks to the caretaker Peng Phan for smiles that leaven that tone), “Still I Strive,” by the filmmakers Adam Pfleghaar and A. Todd Smith, is a remarkable find, a tale of uplift in a too-little-seen environment.