GOLDEN SLUMBERS

From the golden age of Cambodian cinema—which led to the creation of four hundred movies between 1960 and 1975—not much remains. A handful of films, some aged pictures, and memories of nights and afternoons spent watching films as the Khmer Rouge regime approached Phnom Penh. Benefiting from incredible insights from some of the most influential directors and actors of the time, filmmaker Davy Chou takes us through some of the many tales of the once-magnificent industry. From the folklore-inspired romance of some of its biggest films to the tragic fate of those filmmakers and actors forced to leave the country, no stones have been left unturned in this documentary that favors reenactment over archival footage. Chou’s film proves that despite years of oppression and cultural ostracism, memories of films and stars live on. And as a new generation of filmmakers is emerging, Cambodian cinema seems to be slowly waking up from its golden slumber.