Phnom Penh (Ah!) Travel Tips - Faces & Places - CINE CAMBODIA - CINE MEKONG - HBO OUT - March 2005

Freshie Finalists To Thailand - Cinema Cambodia Films Enlighten - The French School's CineMekong Film Festival - Bill Herod Cambodia's Internet Godfather - HBO/Cinemax Out & Star World, Hallmark In

FRESHIE FINALISTS TO TRAVEL TO THAILAND

The six finalists of the annual Freshie talent and beauty contest will fulfill their obligation to their primary sponsor Samart by visiting the company's offices in Bangkok. While in Thailand they will also participate in other activities. Only two of the group have experienced travel outside of Cambodia.

Note: Only one of the six can speak English. Who and why answers below.

THE FRENCH SCHOOLS CINEMEKONG

This is the time of the year for film festivals in Phnom Penh. In addition to last months Cinema Cambodia the French School of Phnom Penh will present their film festival CINEMEKONG (previously Festival De Cinema) March 15-20. The films will be screened at the French Cultural Center and the Cinema Cinelux on Norodom Boulevard.

CINEMA CAMBODIA FILM FESTIVAL

Rebuilding Cambodia's creative cultural Arts community is in progress. In part due to Pannasastra University Cinema Cambodia Film Festival and the efforts of American professor Dr. Raymond Leos.

The event gives Cambodians interested in the film making business a chance to learn from the experienced foreign and Cambodian Film-making professionals. Cambodian and foreign films are showcased. Last year a film by King Sihanouk was screened.

Now in its second year the festival was a scaled down affair. Last year it was a two-day event that featured films and seminars with guest speakers involved in the film industry. This year the seminars and guest speakers were omitted from the program that was presented at the University's South campus February 12th. Why?

The roots that were planted in last years event has come to fruition as this year. Of the ten films screened young Cambodian filmmakers directed five.

Most outstanding film was the riveting documentary 'The Khmer Rouge Rice Fields: The Story Of Rape Survivor Tang Kim,' directed by Racana Phat and Youk Chhang.

In the film Khmer Rouge rape survivor Tang Kim told her story of being raped by Khmer Rouge soldiers that also killed her husband.

Putting the film together wasn't easy. It took a year to assemble including four months to shoot and two months to edit.

The most difficult part of the project was to get Tang to talk. It took six months for Phat to convince Tang to do the film and share her experience with the world. Phat convinced Tang that it was important that she talk about her rape experience. Tang did enabling the project to come to fruition.

As Phat spoke to the Cinema Cambodia audience it brought to mind a statement producer Aaron Spelling made to me regarding how he finds talent for his numerous hit shows including Charlie's Angels, Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210.

"You can see the stardust in their eyes," Spelling said.

As Phat spoke stars seemed to gleam from her eyes.

The timing, cinematography, and editing were excellent. Collectively with the subject matter this film is a must see.

Director Katy Bullen's Cambodia's Dump Children is a ten minute film that packs a punch. It captures the tragic situation of young Cambodian children as young as 5-years-old being discarded by their families and left in the street to survive on their own.

They do so in part by scavenging Phnom Penh's waste dumps searching for something to eat or sell while chancing stepping on hypodermic needles, tin and glass and dealing with rats and vermin. They are also subject to rape and abuse.

American producer/director Jason Rosette's film Book Wars was an interesting piece. It depicted his own experience of survival in New York City by selling used books on the streets of the metropolis after leaving NYU University.

The film focused on other book sellers. It gave the predominately youthful Cambodian audience an insight and culture shock of a street smart New Yorkers attitude and speaking accent.

Other films screened included MEMM, director Chuon; Like You, director Wendy Erd/The Life of Hope Improvisational Drama Group; Toum Mounh Kessany (The Moaning of Madam Kesany, director Saun Thy; Beauty of Cambodian Arts, director Choun Sarin; Women And Education In Cambodian Society, director Chhim Sundaly; The Starfish Story, director Lucy Montgomery and Fragile Hopes From The Killing Fields, director Tiara Delgado.

BERNARD KRISHER HELPS CAMBODIA

Former Newsweek editor Bernard Krisher is a major contributor in helping redevelop Cambodia. In addition to establishing the Cambodian Daily newspaper Krisher is a contributor and fundraiser for building schools in rural area of the country. He also founded Telemedicine that gives free health care to villages in remote areas. More coming….

CAMBODIA'S INTERNET - WE'VE GOT WOES

Things are getting better but dealing with Cambodia's Internet service providers (ISP) is a headache with slow service, no service and large bills with unexplained or itemized charges. We're not alone.

Bill Herod the person that brought the Internet to Cambodia went out of the Internet business because of these problems and was without an ISP for some time.

Herod is now connected to Online who Herod says, "They're straight forward."

You would think that for what Herod has done for Cambodia and what the Internet has done in a positive way for Cambodian business' and government that he would be provided FREE INTERNET SERVICE FOR LIFE.

FRESHIE SPEAKS

Ms. Freshie Girl winner Cham Kanika, 19 is the only person of the six finalists that speaks English. Cham spent two 2-year stints attending school in America while living in Laguna Beach, California.

Watching cable television in Cambodia can bring numerous surprises. Service can go out for an entire day. Blips in the electrical system can knock out the service for minutes to hours.

While watching HBO last month the channel went poof and disappeared. Later in the day the Hallmark channel appeared.

On the designated channel for HBO's sister service CINEMAX it also went black and out only to be replaced later in the day with the Star World channel.

We went to Phnom Penh Cable for an explanation and they provided one with a written announcement as follows. SUBJECT: Replacing of some channel(s)

We would appreciate very much for your duration of using the cable TV network of PP CTV with good relationship in business.

As you know, we have just completed the replacing of the HBO movie (channel) to Hallmark Channel and Cinemax Movie to Star World Channel.

We are pleased to inform you that, our company has no ability to buy the license for broadcasting of two channels mention(ed) above.

Hope your understanding and cooperation would be much appreciates (appreciated).

Thank you with best regards, PP CTV

That was the bad news. The good news is the Grammy's were on Star World that night. Programming is more interesting on the channel with half hour and one hour shows.

American Idol is on three nights Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. This is the model of many Cambodian televised talent shows.

The channel also features several reality shows from America such as Dog, The Bounty Hunter, Outback Jack, Growing Up Gotti, Casino and others.

This will be a culture clash test for Cambodian viewers but is better than being stuck for two hours with a boring movie.

The Hallmark channel is boring. The quality of their low budget movies is not as good as HBO. As they say…. You win some and you lose some. We'll consider this a win.