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ANA GRANTS 2010 FULL PROPOSAL:

DOCUMENTARY FILM “GOLDEN SLUMBERS” BY DAVY CHOU


1 Aims / Objective / Goals of project

My aim is to produce the first documentary film about the unique and unknown story of the golden era of Cambodian cinema. I hope that the film will help to remind the existence of those filmmakers and actors who created during 15 years (1960 to 1975) a film industry from nothing. I also think that it is important for Cambodia to recover some proud about its historical culture and art, after the tragedy of Khmer Rouge Regime. In that extent, the film can be useful to make this lost Cambodian cinema known, both by other countries and the new generation in Cambodia.

2 Brief description of project

Whereas no films were produced in Cambodia before 1960, Cambodian film studios produced more than 350 films from 1960 to 1975, before the Khmer Rouge took over the country and suddenly stopped this emerging film industry.

Only a few directors and film stars survived the Khmer Rouge Regime, and live now between Cambodia, France and Canada. Today, only 33 films remain available (less than 10%). Because of this, those films and stars which were so popular 40 years ago are mainly unknown by the young Cambodian generation.

Today, the situation of the film industry is very critical: just two theatres remain in the capital Phnom Penh and very few films are produced, with ridiculous budgets and techniques.

The project I submit to ASA Grants 2010 is a documentary film named Golden Slumbers that will tell this unique story of the golden era of Cambodian films in the 60s and the 70s.

The film is divided between three different levels. First the meeting with the few survivors who made those films: few filmmakers and one legendary actress, now based in Cambodia, France or Canada. Second, the visit of some old movie theatres, which have now been transformed into karaokes, restaurants, snookers or squats. Third, I will try to include in the film young Cambodians, in order to raise the question of the future and the heritage of this story.

I also add that my grandfather, Van Chann, was one of the most important film producers in Cambodia at that time. I never met him as he died in 1969, but hearing his story from my aunt gave me the desire to know more about what happened in Cambodia at that period and to make this film.


3 Methodology / Implementation of project

I have been working on this film for two years, making some research and meeting the surviving filmmakers and actors. As I am the grandson of a famous film producer from that period, it was easy for me to get in touch with all of them and they welcomed me as part of their family.

As a preparatory work for my film, I curated an exhibition and festival on this golden era of Cambodian cinema: “Golden Reawakening”, in October 2009, that turned to be a huge success in Cambodia. All TV channels (including first night TV show in Cambodia on CTN), local newspapers and some radio channels covered this event. All this brought back to present this story in Cambodian society. International media (in Australia, Thailand, Germany, Indonesia) also covered it, which shows a universal interest for this story.

For the methodology of the process of making that film, I already started to shoot some sequences in March 2010 in Cambodia. I am now writing and planning the shooting in France and Canada, before starting the editing process.


4 Time frame of project

The research and writing started 2 years ago.

I started the shooting in March 2010 in Cambodia.

The shooting should be finished in August 2010.

The film (after editing and post production) should be totally finished for November 2010.


5 Projected output of project (is it a workshop, a discussion, a showing etc.)

The main output of the projects is the screenings of the film, which can have different forms, such as:

But another output of this project is also conferences about Cambodian cinema from the 60s. I will give one, based on my research and my film, at the Asian Art Museum of Washington DC in September 2010, through the Smithsonian Institute (and they also plan to screen the film when it will be finished).

 

6 Who is your target audience for your project?

There are two main target audiences for this film.

The first target is the new and the future generations in Cambodia: they don’t know about this story and those people, whereas all their parents went to watch those films and loved those stars. I hope that the film will help not to forget their memory.

The second target is the international audience, including Asian countries. Make this story known on an international level would be the best tribute to pay to this sacrificed generation of filmmakers and actors.


7 How do you propose to disseminate information about the project to your target audience?

For the first audience I will try to show the film as most as possible in Cambodia, in TV channels, cultural places and also, I hope, in the only surviving movie theatre in Phnom Penh, which would be a perfect symbolic place of screening.

For the second audience, I will send the film to many film festivals in order to be selected, and will also try to create some special collaborations, as we will do with the Asian Art Museum of Washington DC.


8 How do you think your project will create impact on the art communities/the cultures that you want to engage with? How will it develop the field of your art form?

As I wrote, the film industry is in a very bad situation today in Cambodia. We could say that it has never really recovered from the Khmer Rouge Regime. And the lateness that Cambodia has now compared to the other Asian countries seems a huge gap to cross. My film could help a little for the new generation in Cambodia to re-appropriate their own story and to feel proud about their cultural past. Cambodia has actually a history in films and a heritage to go on. To be conscious of that, to speak and know about what happened in the past could be a first step for the reborn of a real Cambodian film industry.