Film
Cambodian Son
Cambodian Son is a 2014 documentary by Masahiro Sugano about Kosal Khiev, a spoken-word poet deported from the United States to Cambodia.[1][2] It follows one year of his life in Phnom Penh, as his poetry wins him new recognition and an invitation to perform in London.[3]
Synopsis
Kosal Khiev left war-torn Cambodia with his family before he was two years old.[3] Before the London trip he had flown only twice: once as a one-year-old refugee, and once at 32, when he was forcibly returned to Cambodia in 2011 after 14 years in prison in the United States.[2][3] He arrived in a country he barely remembered and began to build a life there. The spoken-word poetry he developed in prison helped him find a place in Phnom Penh's art scene.[1][4]
The film follows his preparation to represent Cambodia at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, alongside his work teaching literacy at a Cambodian dumpsite. A series of events nearly keeps him from performing in London.[1] The story cuts between his daily life in Phnom Penh, his family in California and the London trip.[5] After the performances, he is left with the question of how to survive when he belongs nowhere.[2]
The documentary addresses deportation, forced exile, family history, incarceration, intergenerational trauma and the role of art in healing.[1][6] It sets his story against the legacy of Cambodia's war and the killing fields, and the lives of other deportees in Phnom Penh.[4]
Production and credits
Masahiro Sugano filmed, directed and edited the film. Anida Yoeu Ali produced it with Sugano for Studio Revolt, and it features Kosal Khiev's story and poetry.[6][7] Sugano and his wife made the film on a small budget after they became friends with Khiev.[8] Thomas Parisch and Laurent Ziliani composed the music.[1] The film mixes conventional documentary with performance video.[4]
It was filmed in Cambodia, the United States, France and London, and it is a co-production of the United States, Cambodia, France and the United Kingdom.[6][9] The film is in English and Khmer.[9] Ali said in 2014 that she hoped it would add to debate about United States immigration law.[8]
Release and reception
The film premiered at CAAMFest 2014 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, where it won Best Documentary.[8][7] Its United States release date was March 15, 2014.[9] That year it also screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the 19th Chicago Asian American Film Showcase.[7] Later awards include a Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Cultural Resistance Film Festival of Lebanon, the Audience Choice Award at the Bali International Film Festival, the Golden Hanoman Best Asian Film Award at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival, the Film + Change Award at the Albuquerque Film Festival, and an Asian American Journalists Association award.[6]
On May 5, 2014, it screened at the Jacobs Center in San Diego.[4] It was also shown at Pomona College, and in Beijing, Berlin and Singapore, including at a youth detention center.[5] In 2015 the Asian American Journalists Association brought it to Seattle for a screening co-hosted by the Post-Prison Education Program.[5] The film was broadcast on the PBS series America ReFramed as Season 3, Episode 20.[2][3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, Cambodian Son
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Center for Asian American Media, CAAM Presents 11 Films during APA Heritage Month (April 16, 2015)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 PBS, America ReFramed: Cambodian Son, trailer (Season 3, Episode 20)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 KPBS, Review: Cambodian Son (May 2, 2014)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Northwest Asian Weekly, Cambodian Son (April 28, 2015)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Studio Revolt, Cambodian Son Teaching Guide
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Dharamshala International Film Festival, Cambodian Son (August 24, 2015)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Phnom Penh Post, Prisoner-to-poet story scoops prize (March 18, 2014)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 IMDb, Cambodian Son (2014)