What's Up Magazine #28 December 2014 by Pierre Rabotin

Best of(F)

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DO IT YOURSELF SANDWHICH!

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SMART . SENSUAL . EPIC

010 600 608 / 010 600 609 NO. 122B - NEAR RUSSIAN EMBASSY SANGKAT TONLE BASSAC, CHAMKAMON PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA WWW.EPIC.COM.KH

Dear readers, One of our first wishes when we started What’s Up Magazine was to have maximum fun. Along the way we eventually discovered the magazine could be so much more and we became so hungry for information, discoveries and communities. We’ve made many mistakes but in the end we think we created something with a certain identity, something that people recognized, and followed. What we wanted was to create a publication with a strong human element to it. We were talking to people about people. An article was never only an overview of a subject. It was more about “hey we saw that guy on the street. You probably saw him too. We went to talk to him.” And then we realized that the magazine could become a platform for people to express their talents, their opinions, their ideas, and their coolness. We wanted to create a living platform. The magazine wasn’t serving any company or any other purpose. It was meant to create a means to give voices to people. We strived to do that. Our only drive was to create a platform to show people that it’s possible to get out there and do something even with little or no money. People

should create something, they should speak up and put themselves out there. At the beginning we were just aggregating pieces not really knowing where we were going. At some point we managed to find a thread that wove the pieces together and made sense of it all. And that’s why, at the end, we’ve always tried to have a theme - a line to understand that everything makes sense. You see people protesting, creating new music, new movies. But the best part of making the magazine was stepping back, finding that common thread between all of it. We also realized what’s happening now is exciting. There’s really an evolution happening that is difficult to explain. It became so obvious to us that things were changing and in the process we started to understand that a printed magazine wasn’t the best platform anymore and we needed to switch to something different and to evolve What’s Up Magazine. Today, we feel the fun is not always present. We feel that we reached some kind of cusp of evolution and What’s Up Magazine is no longer the platform we loved playing with.

It’s time for us to find a new way to express ourselves and release this incarnation of what has brought us so much joy. We said what we had to say, we’re now moving on, ready to experiment with new things. Already new magazines are coming out, filling gaps of the Cambodian media landscape and we couldn’t be more excited about it. We wish them the best and to have as much fun as we did over those 28 issues we created. To celebrate these good memories we publish this month the best of What's Up Magazine. There are so many people we want to thank for their help. So many joined us to create this family we’ve been working with for so long now and for their support we are so grateful. Among them we would like to thank Nick Sells for his unlimited support through all those issues; Anna Mischke who’s been with us since almost the beginning and has so many times restored our faith in humanity; Eve Watling who grew with us and brought her talent and voice to our magazine. We wish her the best with her newest project, Milk Magazine that we can’t wait to read. We want to thank Julia White for showing us

how to get things done; Samir Cheria who helped deliver the What’s Up baby; Ismail Vora jee for helping us expand to new geeky territories, WU team and contributers: Sentosa Mam, Sarah Belli, Anais Lamory, Jeremie Courtot, Lorenz Gaimard, Clemence Tremol, Louise Couchaux, Vanny Sorn, Rithy Ung, Julia Lwin, John Weeks, Peter Klashorst, Timothy Young, Sophany Ly, Neilly Darathtey, Nicolas C. Grey; all the designers who helped: Clay Garnett, Farhudi Salech, Lizeth Sanchez, Vandy Ros, Sok Chetra, Tanya Cooper Jeremy Montessuis; photographers, Nick Sells, Sam Jam, Jeremie Montessuis, Todd Brown, Michael Klinkhamer; all the models for fashion shoots, all the venues where we partied with extra special thanks for the eighty8 and Simon Shaw, all the DJs and especially huge shout out the Kimchi Collective. A few more: Romi Grossberg, Ashley Louise, Butch Missouri, Jenny Holligan, Clothilde Le Coz, Jemma Galvin, John Shaespear, Emma Blint, Marissa Carruthers, Alexandra Pace, C.M Griffin, Celine Gail Wong, Nathan Thompson, Nathan Phillips, Ary Royhka, Allison Ludkte, Julia White, Marina Shafik , Joe Klondike, It’s certain we missed a few but you’re not by any means forgetten. The What’s Up team

ART

WHEN WE STARTED THE MAGAZINE, ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY WERE ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR VISION. AND WE’VE BEEN LUCKY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH SOME OF THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS IN THE COUNTRY WHO HELPED TELL OUR STORIES. WE HAVE ALSO SCOURED THE CITY FOR THE BEST ARTISTS AND NEW EMERGING ART - INCLUDING GRAFFITI - MADE MORE POPULAR BY ARTISTS SUCH AS LISA MAM AND PEAP TARR. IT WAS HARD TO PICK JUST A COUPLE OF OUR FAVOURITE ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES SO WE PICKED THE VERY BEST THAT SHOWCASE THE DIVERSE ART SCENE ACROSS PHNOM PENH.

Eyes wide open EMBRACING CAMBODIAN ART

ART

STREET ART TOUR

MAPPING PHNOM PENH'S STREET ART EXPLOSION AIRPORT ROAD

ALL ACROSS PHNOM PENH, PAIRS OF HANDS HAVE STARTED CREEPING ACROSS WALLS; THEIR FINGERS STRETCHED IN KHMER DANCER’S POSES. ON OTHER WALLS, CARICATURE POLICE CHIEFS CACKLE, AND SNAKES WRAP AROUND SLEEPING MAIDENS DRAWN IN BOLD, GRAPHIC LINES. CAMBODIA’S STREET ART SCENE IS BLOSSOMING, BRINGING COLOUR TO CRACKED AND DILAPIDATED WALLS.

To honour the movement, here is our map of the greatest graffiti works and locations in Phnom Penh.

Fonki Fonki: In 2012 I met a lot of people from Boeung Kak lake who told me about the lake being filled in. I decided to add a wildness to my design, something more Khmer and elaborate, after people told me their stories. I like this place because it’s a microcosm of Phnom Penh. You have the high-rise buildings and the slums, all in the same location. It’s ephemeral like the city itself: we can see the fast changes happening. It represents the Khmer folk tale about the ogre who ate the moon because he loved her so much, and that’s what created eclipses. So that’s why I added the moon to the design. I have Khmer parents but grew up in Canada, so street art allows me to know more about my culture as I enter a dialogue with the people around me.” Nobad: I’m working with overlapping stencils, in different layers of colors. To create the contrast, I go from the lighter colours to the darkest. The male character is in a contemplative position, and I want people to ask themselves: “What is he thinking about?”. My work has a message: the fact that it’s close to the old lake isn’t a coincidence - I want people to think about what happened here. The Apsara dancer is here because she’s beautiful and I want to highlight Cambodian culture. }

FONKI

SETH

NOBAD

Peap tarr, Fonki & Tones This piece shows the recent collaboration of three Cambodian street artists, Peap Tarr, Fonki and Tones. Peap: “It was a really nice collaboration, playing around with the wall and deciding who paints where. I added my artwork at the end. It’s a snake running through the wall linking the different pieces together. It can be the Naga or the Taniwha, which is a legendary snake considered as a guardian in Maori mythology.” Tones: “I find my inspiration in the style that came out of New York in the mid 70s early 80s, originally found on the side of the trains. This is the true old school, the roots of graffiti, and the backbone of my work. But I twist this influence by adding my Cambodian culture and my daily life. This piece is my name: Tones. The “T” dances more and is linked to the other letters, finding a certain flow. }

"I LIKE LAKESIDE BECAUSE IT’S A MICROCOSM OF PHNOM PENH. YOU HAVE THE HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS AND THE SLUMS, ALL IN THE SAME LOCATION. IT’S EPHEMERAL LIKE THE CITY ITSELF: WE CAN SEE THE FAST CHANGES HAPPENING."

Lisa mam, Peap tarr & Seth Peap: “We had a great time doing this one. It was a very collaborative work with Lisa and French artist Seth: everybody was bouncing off each other. Seth wanted to show the different aspects of Cambodian culture and paint a lot of different characters during his stay. He had a really genuine interest in Cambodian society. He drew the girl lying down. Lisa Mam painted both ends of the artwork and then I wrapped the Naga all around.” Lisa: “I painted the female angel that the kid is listening to. I want to empower women through my art, and I use the leaf and crown to represent that. Seth told me I should draw the heart of the girl, so I added it afterwards. Peap: “At some point kids joined us and started painting next to us. It’s good for us to inspire them in a way.” }

LISA MAM & PEAP TARR

SKATEISTAN WALL

chifumi Chifumi: “This is from my series “Apsara Composition”, where I use Khmer cultural background of Apsara dance and ornamental decoration from the old temples. Usually I paint these murals in the streets because I’m experimenting with the dynamic of dance pictures in living places and trying to understand what resonance it can have with the neighbourhood. }

CHIFUMI

HERB CAFE

Theo Vallier & Chifumi Chifumi: "Hands are my logotype. I see them as an ancient thing, a language handprints were the first things humans ever painted.” Théo : “It’s a mix of cultures, ours as French people, and the one of the country we live in. My goal was to work around Cambodian traditional imagery with modernity. For

"HANDS ARE MY LOGOTYPE. I SEE THEM AS AN ANCIENT THING, A LANGUAGE – HANDPRINTS WERE THE FIRST THINGS HUMANS EVER PAINTED.”

BROKEN FINGAZ

this piece I did the Naga, as a response to the Nagas in Wat Langka, the temple across the street. near Malaysian Embassy victor & fonki Victor: “I wasn’t even going to paint anything that day but the local chief was harassing us so I did his portrait. It’s a caricature, making him look desperate – so pathetic and sad. He’s in military fatigues and has a Venk necklace as bling – it’s my tag. At first there was going to be money floating down but I didn’t have any green paint. ” Fonki: “Instead of bubble letters or names I often drop a face. It’s a Khmer smile. It’s from a picture of myself. It’s a universal smile as there are no eyes – Cambodia is a land of smiles, beginning with King Jayavarman VII. }

THEO VALLIER & CHIFUMI

ART

DIVINE INK SACRED TATTOOS

 EVE WATLING

JULIEN QUENTIN

In Buddhist countries around Southeast Asia, sacred tattoos intricately pattern the bodies of believers who find good luck and protection in them. The regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s combination of animist, Buddhist, and Hindu beliefs have created a tapestry of symbols, images and writings carried on the body, passed on from one generation to the next. The Yantra tattoo finds its roots in Cambodia. Although the tradition has largely shifted over the border to Thailand, the practice is still kept alive in pagodas and small tattoo parlours around the country. Although they are sometimes done for cosmetic reasons, the rows of rounded Khmer script and pagoda-spire squiggles of the Yantras, as well as drawings of hybrid animals resembling forgotten Hindu gods, are mostly imbued with deep spiritual significance. Depending on the needs, the tattoo signifies a piece of magic that protects the wearer or brings them luck. A ritual is performed and offerings given to an altar before the tattoo is inked.

Yantra tattoos can be designed to give the wearer love, money and power. It is also common for soldiers and boxers to get tattooed in order to protect them from their dangerous jobs. Along with the Buddhist scripts, animals are often used to signify a certain wanted characteristic. Tigers represent strength, while a fish represents freedom. However, the good luck doesn’t flow for free - the tattoos come with a catch. Both the artist and the customer must live in an honest and healthy way or else the magic does not work. Drinking, lying and playing cards are strictly forbidden, and there are often other rules specific to the person’s particular tattoo. But for most people with Yantras, the restrictions are worth it, and belief in their power is held in steadfast faith. Perhaps the enforcement of a wholesome lifestyle is a contributing factor of their reputed success. But even magic sceptics have to admire the beauty of this Khmer art form. Info: Address: No. 94 St. 233 012 676 152 – 017 355 076

}

PHILONG SOVAN Philong Sovan is one of Cambodia’s promising artist of this generation,.. Whilst working for a video production NGO, he was summoned to participate in a photography workshop. “I didn’t understand why photography needed to be learned,” but after only few hours of study, he fell in love with the subject and has never looked back. Philong was hired to take pictures at Photo Phnom Penh (Photo festival), his first report as a photographer. His obvious talent is probably what opened the door to The Phnom Penh Post where he began as a freelancer. He showed this work at the Photo Quay exhibition in 2011 in Paris and has since joined the Lumière school, a prestigious establishment; a program sponsored by the French Embassy. He is

Peap Tarr & Lisa MAM WALL STORY

 ROMI GROSSBERG

When asked about her influences, Lisa says: “I don’t think about if it is Cambodian style or not, I want to do things outside my comfort zone, unique. It is Cambodian because I am Cambodian”. Peap adds: “It’s about being

already eager to bring back his experiences to Cambodia. “There is a lack of photography schools in Cambodia and I want my people to have the opportunity to develop their skills and realize their own personal projects”. }

creative, that’s what Cambodia was in the past, different,” he continues on about his style and influences, “it expresses who I am, my upbringing, Khmer as well as New Zealand and with a tattoo feel”. The conversation is easy between the three of us with Peap and Lisa complimenting each other’s style and uniqueness, bouncing off each other, teasing and laughing, and I leave feeling like I have just caught up with two old friends. }

ART

Space Bar Drag Show DANCING TO ANOTHER PLANET  PIERRE RABOTIN

JULIEN QUENTIN

We follow makeup artist and hairdresser Sopheap Chuk as he prepares his ladyboy protégées for a night of dancing, lipsynching and general diva-ing. As we arrive in Space Hair Salon and Bar, the night is just warming up. The mirrored walls and the wafts of hairspray conjure up the atmosphere of a girl’s bedroom before a big Friday night on the town. Sophea is dancing around excitedly to Beyonce, wearing an all in one body stocking, with his feathered and beaded dreadlocks piled on top of his head. Sopheap’s brother wanders in, all luscious hair and full lips, flat stomach peeping out of his jangling belly dancers outfit. This is not your typical night out.

"SOPHEA IS DANCING AROUND EXCITEDLY TO BEYONCE, WEARING AN ALL IN ONE BODY STOCKING, WITH HIS FEATHERED AND BEADED DREADLOCKS PILED ON TOP OF HIS HEAD." The performances begin with Sopheap’s brother shaking it to Shakira, lip-synching to perfection and somehow managing not to slip on the shiny floor in his 5 inch heels. Another performer, Jasmine follows with a sultry rendition of Doris Day’s Perhaps. The Britney-alike dances to (what else) Britney, so enthusiastically that part of his necklace flies off and lands at my feet.

The highlight of the show was Avatar Sophea’s surreal performance. Crawling out from behind the bar covered in a rainbow flag, his performance mainly involves writing slowly around on the floor, ending impressively with him doing the splits. The tiny bar explodes. The transformation is complete – male, female and alien merged in a single triumphant blue body. Sophea gets up, grins, and slips silently backstage. }

ART

THE PLIGHT OF THE PNONGS  JENNY HOLLIGAN The Phnong tribe live in scattered settlements surrounded by forests with only a few hundred villagers. The villages are often found near waterfalls, rivers and forests where they have access to water, fish, wood and hunting. Sadly, the tribes’ location has made them victim to the natural resource curse. These photographs depict the Phnong’s wealth of culture, tradition and land which is at serious risk of extinction. }

JENNY HOOLIGAN

ART

In Too Deep EXPLORING CAMBODIA'S GOLD MINES

Two hours away from Sen Monorom, Mondilkiri’s capital, lays a quiet sloping village with the look of an old Spaghetti Western set. Only accessible after driving on a wounded and tortuous dirt road, this strange town covered with grey dust seems to exist out of time, like a live version of a black and white picture. Its remoteness makes basic needs difficult to fulfill, and during rainy season the town is almost impossible to access, or leave. Only a few expert drivers can to get to it, charging you $25 and loading their motodop with goods before making what seems impossible to the regular Phnom Penh driver. Only one man is allowed to resupply the village, a nice and profitable

 PIERRE RABOTIN

JULIEN QUENTIN

monopoly for the guy in charge. In this little town one kW of electricity costs 4500 riels, four to five times the price of Phnom Penh. But there is a reason people put up with the difficulties. The area holds some of Cambodia’s famous goldmines where every day men and women risk their lives hoping to find even few grams of the precious metal. After more than twenty years of exploitation, landscape has been completely destroyed. All that’s left is something resembling a war field, covered in filth and drilled by deep, dark holes, in which miners sink way underground to bring back the gold in which the owners of the lands invested so much for.

"MINERS WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THEY MAKE $150 A MONTH WORKING FROM 7AM TO 6PM, BUT CAN MAKE AN EXTRA $100 IF THEY WORK UNTIL 10PM." 28

Miners work seven days a week. They make $150 a month working from 7am to 6pm, but can make an extra $100 if they work until 10pm. Needless to say, most of them do. A pyrotechnician who places dynamite down the holes to blow up the heavy rock earns $500 a month. Two of them are necessary for the task. A homemade process: after extracting the rocks containing gold from the hole they blew up, miners crush them before mixing the resulting sand with water. They then run this muddy water through ‘Welcome’ doormats in order to filter for the heaviest parts. “Mines were discovered by the Bunongs [an ethnic minority living in the north of the country] in 1998”, explain Sok Heng, the owner of a small piece of land, “At the time, a canal was running through the place and you just had to plunge your hands in the water to pick up gold. Khmer people started exploiting the mines two years after. Now all of the minorities have left.” }

ART

Leang Seckon, the disciple

 JOE KLONDIKE

Leang Seckon perches at the intersection of many facets of life in his native Cambodia. He was born in 1974, a year before the Khmer Rouge took control of the country, and when Cambodia emerged as a sovereign state in the mid-90’s he was a leading member of the first troupe of serious contemporary artists. Seckon has recently made major strides in both the merit and scope of his artwork, propelling himself far beyond his beloved local status.

“I am proud of my Khmer heritage. made great temples in the past. But is my time now and I want time now I want to make a contribution on culture,” says Seckon.

We this and my

Seckon’s earliest memories inform much of his artwork. While this may be true of most artists, the conditions of life in Cambodia were singular and particularly challenging at that time. Growing up in Prey Veng, in

Southeast Cambodia, his first years were deeply marred by the odious and taxing rural life under the Khmer Rouge. Abject poverty coupled with fear and unpredictable U.S. bombings made for an uncertain and terrifying early childhood. Working as a “buffalo boy” he laboured in the fields, and at the end of the day found comfort only in his mother’s warmth.

“I AM PROUD OF MY KHMER HERITAGE. WE MADE GREAT TEMPLES IN THE PAST. BUT THIS IS MY TIME NOW AND I WANT TIME NOW AND I WANT TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION ON MY CULTURE,” – SECKON.

Seckon went to the Fine Arts University in Phnom Penh in the late 1990s, but was mostly forced to teach himself. The country consisted of almost nothing but peasants who had returned from the countryside and were then victimized by a small, corrupt elite. Perhaps for Seckon, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He had to educate himself, had to find his own way, and was forced to become self-motivated. In blending historical printed imagery, old photographs, crumpled documents and contemporary detritus from the streets of Phnom Penh, Seckon makes eloquent and poignant statements about a city in transition. Engaging in his own shamanistic version of “soul repair”, there is no other artist who so succinctly and purely reflects his history, both personal and national. He is inseparable from his art. Seckon is unable to step outside himself and make imagery distanced from his past. Not many artists can utter these two simple phrases convincingly: “History is treachery” and “Flowers come from my mouth.” May Leang Seckon’s fertile garden forever prosper. }

ART

The Dying Art of Sign Painting î&#x20AC;&#x2021; SOK HACK

î&#x20AC;&#x2020; BRADFORD EDWARDS

Anyone who has lived, or even just travelled, in Cambodia may have noticed the handpainted signs that appear throughout the country, from the cities to small provincial villages. They range from beautiful, almost photorealistic portraits, to the bizarre and conceptual, displaying a diverse array of talent and artistic sensibilities, all framed within a very functional piece of advertising.

However, according to Dara Rith, a sign maker from Battambang, nowadays only 5% of all signs are hand painted. In 1918, when Cambodia was under French colonial rule, the Royal University of Fine Arts opened in Phnom Penh. Traditional painting was taught, and some people went on to become pagoda painters. In the 50â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cinema came to Cambodia, and was hugely popular. The pagoda painters began to moonlight as sign painters, painting cinema billboards. It was from

this the demand for hand painted signs developed, and sign painting shops began opening. This was interrupted by the war, and the turbulent years that followed. After the war, the cinemas once again opened their doors, and the sign makers that survived resumed their work, taking on new apprentices. Sometime in the 80’s the spray can, and the spray gun, came to Cambodia. “In 6 months, 40% of the industry died”, said Ment Leang, who worked as a sign painter in the 80’s, “it was cheaper and faster to use the spray cans, and even most of the sign painters preferred this, as it was a lot less work. There was no need to worry about brushes and paint, which was sometimes not easy to get hold of”.

Cinema billboards were still popular in the 90’s, many of which were still hand painted, but it wouldn’t be long before the television became more ubiquitous. The popularity of the cinemas was affected, and they could no longer afford to pay for hand painted billboards. “This nearly killed of the sign painting industry altogether”, says Dara Rith. He still has a small shop on Street 2 in Battambang that was once his father’s. “Once, nearly this whole street was full of sign painters. Now it’s just me.” }

THE TASTE OF A MAESTRO

Last Breath A SNEAKY SEND-OFF TO CAMBODIA’S FORGOTTEN ARCHITECTURE  EVE WATLING

EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY

Phnom Penh Siem Reap Sihanouk, Kep & Kampot Battambang

(855) 23 986 350 (855) 63 964 409 (855) 34 934 155 (855) 53 953 855

Inspired by urban exploration guru Bradley Garret, the Last Breath project started in London. The project facilitates street artists to decorate the inside of a building due to be demolished – without the permission of the owner. This year, the project went international, and Cambodia was the first port of call. When Tom heard one of Vann Molyvann’s 100 Houses project in Tuol Kork was due for demolition, he knew it was a perfect space for Last Breath. He enlisted French artists Chifumi and Al Sticking, as

Drawing the Golden Age WHERE CAMBODIAN COMIC BOOKS STARTED  EVE WATLING

 OUR BOOKS

Welcome to a land where ghosts, romance and magic abound: the Cambodian golden age comics are known for their wild stories that lay behind their poppingly colourful covers. Kickstarted by imported French comics, the 1960s and 70s Cambodian comic scene saw a boom in production, until the Khmer Rouge rule squashed all publishing. Due to the slapdash nature of production, comics appear and disappear on the market unpredictably: many comics are vulnerable to being lost forever. Luckily, Our Books are working on archiving, translating and digitalising Golden Age comics, with 300 comics already scanned in. Physical archives can be reviewed at their office while they look for a library space to house this endangered gem in Cambodian culture. }

well as local artist Kong Vollack to decorate the empty, semi-ruined building. “Buildings have a life,” says Tom, “Sometimes they even have names. Their inhabitants make material imprints into them; nails in the wall, scratches on the floor. Each building has multiple meaning for different people, and it transforms itself between different memories.” }

People

the crazy ones we met Of all the places we’ve seen and the crazy things we’ve tried, it has been the people we’ve met that have had the most impact on us over the last two years. From politicians to musicians, activists and even dentists, we’ve met some fascinating people helping build Cambodia towards a prosperous future. It was difficult to choose just a few of our people features for our last edition. But we hope it reflects the diversity of talents we’ve been fortunate to discover in our two year run.

On the road with Mu Sochua TAKING ON MICROLOANS AND MONOPOLIES IN BATTAMBANG  EVE WATLING  PEN PUTHSAPHEA When Mu Sochua invites me on a three day trip around rural Battambang, I have no idea what to expect. The CNRP politician, women’s rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize nominee is a force to be reckoned with in the current opposition party. She has been labelled a ‘troublemaker’ by Prime Minister Hun Sen before campaigning with Sam Rainsy to challenge the July 2013 general election irregularities. Whatever happens, I’m pretty sure a leisurely wander through the countryside isn’t likely to be on the cards.

In Battambang, I’m whisked from my hotel and squashed into a dilapidated 4x4 between a man updating Sam Rainsy’s Facebook page and a high ranking CNRP member. Sochua sits in the front, and making calls and writing emails with unfailing energetic focus, even when the road disintegrates into ruts as we leave Battambang city centre. We reach a stunningly lovely riverside village, dense jungle meshing seamlessly with rice paddies, and haystacks cutting soft, melted

silhouettes against the afternoon sky. Yet even this simple and remote way of life has apparently been deemed grossly unsustainable to the banking system, which has half the village in its grip of debt. Many of these farmers took out loans to set up these now sunken crops from microfinance banks. The microfinance system originally started as a way to provide small communitybased loans to fund poor entrepreneurs, but many have been co-opted into larger banks who often charge exorbitant interest rates of around 2.8% per month (equivalent of 33% a year). The last rainy season’s heavy floods caused many crops to fail, and the farmers have no means of paying back the interest on the loans. Many farms here are now under imminent threat of repossession. Despite literally feeding the country, the average loan in this village stands at around $2000USD per household. However, the situation shouldn’t be this desperate. This year’s mass crop failure meant that the current government passed a law allowing farmers a 6 months reprieve to gather together the owed interest money. However, outside the reach of the internet and far from the world of politics, the villagers are unaware of the new law, and the banks are coming knocking regardless.

Enter Mu Sochua. On this campaign-meetspublic information trail, she is travelling around her constituency of Battambang letting debtors know that the current collection of interest is illegal. Mu jumps straight from the car and into the spotlight. Over a sometimes malfunctioning loudspeaker, she reads out and explains the new law, before handing out printed copies to the crowd. After the applause dies down, she walks amongst the villagers, handing them the microphone as they ask questions and share their personal testimonies of financial struggle. ‘It’s good to talk about it together as a community’ says Mu afterwards, ‘Many people are unaware that their neighbours are going through the same thing as they are. They have to form a united front to take up the matter with the village chiefs and the banks as one community – they are so much more powerful together than as individuals’. For the next two days, we repeat the process of travelling to the remote villages, reading out the new law, and hearing personal testimonies of the villagers. After one meeting in a brightly painted wat, we are told that a bank representative is actually in the village at the moment, claiming a 2.7% monthly interest debt from the owners of a small hardware

shop. These bank visits are so frequent that villagers don’t seem surprised at the coincidence. As we reach the shanty wooden hardware store, the bank representative looks uncomfortable, seeming to shrink into her severe suit. Mu and a group of villagers gather around her, calm but determined. Mu holds a copy of the law, calmly explaining the legal situation. The bank worker claims to have heard of the law, but hasn’t been given any instructions regarding it. She agrees to take the copy of the law to her bosses at the bank for them to decide what to do next. Even it’s just a stalling tactic on behalf of the bank that may plan to return later, the owners of the hardware store are safe for the moment, and the assembled crowd is filled with confidence. The villagers may be out of the loop when it comes to information, but in Battambang city centre it’s a very different story. On hearing that Mu Sochua is in the car that picks me up every morning, I’m swamped by the tour guides and tuk tuk drivers gathered round the outside of my hotel, all telling me how much they admire her and reeling off political statistics, asking me to confirm obscure facts regarding a potential budget deficit.

"THE LAST RAINY SEASON’S HEAVY FLOODS CAUSED MANY CROPS TO FAIL, AND THE FARMERS HAVE NO MEANS OF PAYING BACK THE INTEREST ON THE LOANS. MANY FARMS HERE ARE NOW UNDER IMMINENT THREAT OF REPOSSESSION.THE AVERAGE LOAN IN THIS VILLAGE STANDS AT AROUND $2000USD PER HOUSEHOLD."

I ask one tour guide how he became so well informed and he gets out his smartphone, saying he learns it all on Facebook: before the internet nobody really knew what was going on. Perhaps when the internet finally expands to include the remote and rural parts of Cambodia, Mu’s tours will no longer be necessary. Yet for now, politicians like her are sorely needed to inform and organise the vulnerable rural poor, kickstarting the confidence to stand up as a united community to challenge exploitative power structures. ‘This is advocacy’, Mu explains as she holds a practice session where villagers act out confronting the banks with each other, ‘They are learning how to speak out in these difficult situations.' }

People

DR MORI DENTAL CLINIC  TOM STALL

TEETH SAMOURAI I was in Europe when the agony struck. The pain and the horror, and I was on holiday. Normally, in this type of situation I’m the kind of person who says, “We’ll take care of it later”, but the pain was too much and “later” meant Cambodia. I took my last antibiotic pill and then went on the quest of a lifetime: to find a decent dentist in Cambodia. Finally, I heard about Dr Mori, a Japanese dentist and Kendo lover. When I got to Dr Mori’s clinic, I felt immediately at ease. His calm way of talking and explaining everything reassured me. I thought I would

like to hang out with this guy, even feeling sorry at the end of our consultation, as I had been enjoying my time there. “It’s already over? Wait, I think you missed a tooth.” He’s the kind of person I want to be friends with on Facebook. I made a pact with myself: if he does a good job, I’ll add him. After five sessions, my teeth were perfectly fixed, and I even have one filled with Kevlar. True story. Come at me now, you gun people! Oh, and it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg - just between $10 and 20 per visit, never more. And Dr Mori and I are now friends on Facebook. }

Khvay Samnang

 EVE WATLING

TAKING BOEUNG KAK LAKE TO THE SINGAPORE BIENNALE Southeast Asia is in flux. High-rises shoot from the ground and shanty towns swell where low sweeps of rice paddies once lay. But while some changes happen naturally over time, the warping landscape of Phnom Penh is very much manmade. Cambodian artist Khvay Samnang believes that it is his role to address this rapid development. Samnang showed his work at last year’s Singaporian Biennale under the theme ‘If the World Changed’. The

massive exhibition collects works from Southeast Asia’s most exciting artists, giving them a space in the context of the global art scene as they address the region’s most pressing issues. Untitled, Khvay Samnang’s work displayed in the biennale, addresses the change happening in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak Lake area, which was recently filled in with sand to make way for property development. Samnang’s artwork addressed the development directly: going to the lake during the process of its destruction, he filmed

and photographed himself pouring a bucket of sand over his head. Untitled recalls the powerful images of self-immolating Vietnamese monks in the 1970s, who set themselves on fire to protest the Vietnam war and give a visual image to the suffering of the country. Rich with absurdist humour, Untitled is playful rather than brutally final, but there are parallels in how Samnang envelops his body in a physical trial in order to engage with the actions of powerful political forces. }

 SA SA BASSAC

People

the most powerful Shaman  NATHAN THOMPSON

Our reporter Nathan Thompson travelled to Kampong Cham to meet with Um Bpros, Cambodia’s most famous - and elusive shaman. Although he usually turns down interviews, here he opens up about his famous customers, his powers, and how he predicts the future...

Although Kru Khmer literally translates into ‘Cambodian Teachers’, as I drew closer to Um Bpros compound it became clear it wasn’t going to be a day of blackboards and naughty kids. Kru Khmers are mediums and healers who get their power by channeling ancient

spirits. Folk Buddhism, practiced by 95% of Cambodia’s population, has plenty of metaphysical room for these characters. You will find them in every village; dispensing herbal medicine, soothsaying and chanting blessings at ceremonies. The lay farmers and their families found pure Buddhist practice too dry and complicated so it got spiced-up with the drama and magic of old animistic cults. The result was a hodgepodge of gods and demons hanging out on various astral planes alongside Buddha and the angels; indeed, as that anthem of Cambodian Buddhism, “Bat Sara Phanh” says, “Cambodian Buddhism contains devoted beings from ancient times”.

Um Bpros is the most powerful Kru Khmer in Cambodia. He is so famous that even Hun Sen and King Norodom Sihamoni came to him to have their fortunes told. Um Bpros lives in a massive compound in Kampong Cham: half family home, half temple; extended family members walked in between shrines as big as small houses, while smiling Buddhas sat alongside stone-carved Angkorian warriors on white horses. Inside his personal palace Um Bpros sat on a rug at one end of a cavernous hall; the walls were covered with photos of him meeting the king, the prime minister, the head of the Red Cross, and opening hospitals and schools. Behind him was a flatscreen TV with eight security feeds and 10 walkie talkies in separate stands. He wore a white robe around his waist. His torso was a web of green tattoos: over his heart was Angkor Wat, and emanating from those ogive towers were incantations in the mystical languages of Pali and Sanskrit. He doesn’t usually do interviews. But today he had conferred with his spirit guide and I had the ghostly thumbs up. “There are many Kru Khmers in Cambodia but Hun Sen sees only me”, he said speaking through a translator. “It is because I am famous and well-known for being honest and spending money to help poor people. It was the King himself who gave me the title of Kru Khmer and asked me to tell his fortune. But I don’t only serve rich and famous people, anyone can come to see me. I have no set price and everyone pays by donation”. Judging from the solid gold watch on his wrist and the fact he just paid over $3 million to build a hospital in Kampong Cham, there seem to be some big players seeking his advice. Indeed, a five-star general and the governor of Kampong Cham are also clients. “I made all my money from people who came to me to know their future and for healing. Up to 400 people come every Saturday; I can see about 200 of them; last Saturday I made $1000”, he said.

Um Bpros was taught his craft by his grandfather when he was a young boy in the 1960s. “My grandfather worked in the royal palace – he was a fortune teller and I learned everything from him”, he said. “I learned the art from the age of 10 to 14 but then I stopped and moved to live in a village. I began to practice as a Kru Khmer again when I was 27. I learned a special meditation from my grandfather and now, before I can look into people’s futures, I meditate and then the Neak Tda come into my heart”. Neak Tda literally means “old people”; in this context the term refers to the ancient spirits who live on Phnom Kulen – a mountain in Siem Riep that is the holy birthplace of the Angkorian king Jayavarman II. Indeed, other fortune tellers and Kru Khmers have told me their spirit informants also hail from this Olympian address. He went on, “the Neak Tda came to me first when I was young; they helped me to become a good person, a wealthy and respected person, this is how you can tell that they are good spirits. The witches and Kru Khmers who deal with curses are helped by the bad kind of Neak Tda.” Traditional Cambodian healing often involves tinctures of herbs. “To heal people, I give them herbs mixed with alcohol”, he said. He pulled out two X-rays of a shinbone. One showed the bone splintered while the other showed the bone white and solid. “This healing happened in two weeks. I applied herbs mixed with a little Hennessey to this [he showed a bamboo splint] and then their leg was healed. When a person has a headache or cold I give them herbs which they eat and they feel better”. I have met other Kru Khmers who claim to do the same kind of things as Um Bpros but are infinitely less successful. The difference is that Um Bpros has that combination of intelligence, charisma and luck that makes men rich – he’s like those guys on Dragon’s Den but more humble, and perhaps that’s his strongest magic power. He gave a charming smile: “when I meditate I clear my mind and think of only good things and then the good things come”.}

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Young, Female, and Khmer  EVE WATLING

CODES OF CONDUCT AND FAMILY TIES Quiet and virginal? A tiger in the business world? The hard-grafting backbone of family life? An exotic and submissive plaything? Downtrodden and in need of saving? Stereotypes of Cambodian women can be contradictory, obscure, and frankly plain offensive. But how do young Cambodian women see themselves and their own place in society? Is there a change in the roles that they take on, and the behaviour that is expected of them? While women’s roles have varied throughout Cambodia’s history, the publishing of the Cbpab Srei articulated a defined set of conservative rules that Cambodian women were expected to abide by, and is still widely known and influential today. Kem Kim Am is a CNRP politician from Battambang, confident and politically open-minded. But even so, she praises the Cbpab Srei. “There are lots of good aspects to it. In our village, we believe that girls shouldn’t leave to work far away by themselves, or have sex before they are married”. She does make an exception however: “If it was absolutely necessary for a

girl to go off and work alone to support her family, it would be OK. But if it was just for her own enjoyment, it is not.” This submission of personal fulfilment to the greater good of the family is a central part of the expectation of Khmer women. Trude Jacobsen, expert on the history of women’s roles in Cambodia, explains. “Generally speaking, there is an expectation for women to maintain the family unit - through efficient handling of the household resources, through cleaning, cooking, and rearing children, and through contributing to the family enterprise, be it harvesting rice, running a guesthouse or going to university to get a law degree that will enhance the family’s prestige. Whatever she does in the furtherance of this objective is acceptable.” “What is not acceptable is to do anything for herself that does not somehow contribute to the family. Men, on the other hand, are allowed to do things that further a personal or individual goal.” While women are by no means passive members of Khmer society, their personal autonomy is still slim.

 LITTLE STORIES OF PHNOM PENH BY MARYLISE VIGNEAU

REINTERPRETING TRADITION With the arrival of the internet, the increasing influx of individualistic Western culture, and the host of NGOs setting out to ‘empower’ the Khmer woman, have attitudes changed amongst the younger generation? Voeun Leakhena, a 24 year old who co-owns a nail bar in Phnom Penh’s Kandal market, has no desire for change. Although she admits that the Cbpab Srei is almost impossible to follow in the modern day in terms of the precise rules regarding speaking, walking, and never socialising with men outside the family, she believes the code serves to protect her. “Western women act like boys”,

she says, “they drink and smoke and go clubbing – I don’t like it. It’s not right for a Khmer woman to do that. It’s better to do what your family wants rather than what you want, although it’s not the same for boys. But that is because this society takes care of women more than men”. Working full time and shouldering the household chores, Voeun takes on the typical dichotomy of the Khmer woman, being both the breadwinner and housewife, the businesswoman and the preciously guarded daughter. Although she is often tired out, she finds reward for her efforts in the closeness of the family that she holds together.

However, some women feel that this traditional family structure, so reliant on the fidelity of the young woman, can have its drawbacks. Sentosa Mam, 17, is the daughter of a Phnom Penh businesswoman, and was educated at an English speaking international school. ‘I don’t want to live under the shadow of my parents. I want to make an impact and push myself’, she says. ‘At the moment I’m interning to get experience I need for a career in the arts. But my mother is hurt and disappointed I’m not spending my time helping out at her business. She and my grandma tell me that it would be OK if I was a boy, but as a girl I shouldn’t be so independent.’ Although she has reached a tentative compromise with her parents about her lifestyle, she still worries that her own behaviour is seen as reflecting poorly upon her parents. ‘People don’t judge young women as individuals, but as an extension of the family. I don’t smoke in public because I don’t want to embarrass my parents.’ It’s not just alienation from the family group that occurs when women transgress social norms. In such a patriotic nation, the Khmer woman is seen as central in the fight to protect the race from its bigger, more powerful neighbours. In an article about female politicians in Cambodia, Kate Frieson points out that the “importance in the socialization of the family, and by extension the nation, has been used as a political tool by various regimes since independence. Women not only literally carry the seed of future generations, they are viewed as being responsible for the cultural regeneration of the nation through their role of raising and educating children.” In turn, Jacobson points out that “Cambodia nearly lost its cultural identity under the Khmer Rouge, so there is a tendency on the part of some Cambodians to cling to those things that are believed to

"IT’S NOT JUST ALIENATION FROM THE FAMILY GROUP THAT OCCURS WHEN WOMEN TRANSGRESS SOCIAL NORMS. IN SUCH A PATRIOTIC NATION, THE KHMER WOMAN IS SEEN AS CENTRAL IN THE FIGHT TO PROTECT THE RACE FROM ITS BIGGER, MORE POWERFUL NEIGHBOURS." be “truly Cambodian” - including the Cbpab Srei.” Sentosa’s behaviour and dress draw stares, with people often believing she is foreign. Like Voeun, she feels as though she is taking core Khmer values and re-enterprising them for the modern world. But pushing her freedom this far causes some cultural alienation. “Sometimes I feel neither Khmer nor Western”, she says. This combination of the family group’s desire to protect their daughter, as well as the lack of government support for the elderly or vulnerable means that young women often shoulder the heft of familial responsibilities. The government plans to introduce a comprehensive pension scheme in the coming years, a move which will relieve some of the desperate financial imperatives for Khmer women to earn money. But if Khmer women want as much personal autonomy as their male counterparts, the tight knit family group have to learn to trust their daughter’s own decisions in the outside world, and find a way to function without her total devotion. }

People

Cool Khemerica The Diaspora that are making waves in the Americas  EVE WATLING

To celebrate the fourth this year’s 4th of July, What’s Up have made you a handy index of all of our up and coming Khmerican cousins (and a Khanadian that we could'nt resist slipping in!).

THE ARTIST:

Albert Samreth After graduating from the California Institute of the Arts, the globetrotting artist spends frequent stints in Phnom Penh, where he is part of Sa Sa Bassac galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roster of artists. Sa Sa was the site of his first solo exhibition, Know Know, which featured rumpled canvases, a doormat and a ton of visual puns, including A Million Hangups â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a hat stand covered in a multitude of vanity mirrors. }

THE BADASS:

Honey Cocaine Although she may not be strictly ‘Khmerican’, we had to include the 21 year old Honey Cocaine, the most badass rapper to emerge from Toronto in recent years. Getting shot after a gig in 2012 hasn’t dimmed her ambition to be rap’s next big thing. }

THE ENTREPRENEUR:

Lil Crazed

Rapper, father, clothing label mogul and heartthrob, Lil Crazed is one of Khmerica’s most successful musical entrepreneurs, loved in both America and Cambodia. Born Alexander Ou in Rochester, Minnesota, the 26 year old rapper has been perfecting his craft since he began writing poetry at 14, and has gone on to build King in Disguise, a company that combines a record label with a clothing line.}

THE LONG BEACH BAD BOY:

Yung Tee

27 year old Yung Tee is a tattooed bad boy who mixes a disarming charm into his trap beats , beaming beatifically as he raps his goofy lines, like ‘All I see is camel toes/ Like I live in Egypt’. Still, there’s a strong message of hope, redemption and Khmer pride in his music. Young Tee is unsigned and underground, but,that probably won’t be the case for long. }

THE ACTIVIST:

Vanessa Teck Describing herself as ‘constructively and nurturingly critical’, Vanessa is a 23 year old Denver born activist, who aims to build networks and platforms to challenge institutional discrimination. HOW DO YOU RELATE TO YOUR KHMER HERITAGE? I think that the more involved I become in activist work, the more rooted I become in my Khmer heritage. Understanding the struggles and sacrifices that my family made to be here, to give me the opportunity to speak against injustices motivates me to continue fighting for the movement. Cambodian Americans still have some of the highest high school dropout rates, are victims of the school to prison pipeline, and face numerous deportation cases. In providing me with these opportunities and the need to assimilate to survive, I grew up not truly understanding who I was or where I came from. }

THE INSTAGRAM STAR:

Tiffany Phoundiet

Describing herself as a ‘young soul with big goals’, this social media celebrity started off making an online platform to showcase her original fashion designs, and ended up with 350,000 Instagram followers. Tune in to see big corkscrew curls, pouty lips and lots of wild Valley Girl outfits... }

THE POP PRINCESS

April Nhem

The animal loving, banjo picking pop upstart just released her debut album Sirenum in January. Is April the Khmerican Taylor Swift? soundcloud.com/aprilnhem

}

THE CHANTEUSE:

 JAYMER DELAPENA

Laura Mam

When Laura Mam posted her Khmer language song ‘Pka Proheam Rik Popreay’, it’s unlikely the Californian undergraduate could have predicted that it would ever end up pushing almost 800,000 hits. The viral popularity of the song led Mam to put her dreams of becoming an archaeologist on hold in order to pursue a music career here in Cambodia. As well as forming an all female band called The Like Me’s, she released Meet Me in the Rain, a collection of summery, acoustic folk-pop. }

THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Pete Bin

Born in a post-genocide refugee camp, Pete Pin grew up in California. His photo series Cambodian Diaspora captures the world of the Cambodian American community, focusing especially the attempts to keep alive the traditional way of life in bleak suburban settings. }

THE POET:

Kelley Pheng This young poet blasts spoken-word odes to her upbringing and national identity while paying tribute to her refugee parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggle under the Khmer Rouge. The Californian native sees poetry as not just expressing herself, but as channelling the voice of her Khmerican community. facebook.com/kelleyphengpoetry }

People

Nicolas Grey Tales of an anti guru  EVE WATLING

Following the life, thoughts and eccentricities of Indian thinker and harsh critic of guru culture UG Krishnamurti, Nicolas C. Grey and James Farley’s exhibition of their comic book collaboration This Dog Barking is a wild ride; wandering from Asia’s sleazy highstreets into the galaxy of individual molecules working together to form our bodies. With the seedy angst of a spiritual anti-quest told through UG’s poker-faced perspective, the comic resembles a psychedelic Asian version of Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World, with an Indian film poster aesthetic of Hindu gods and dodgy gurus thrown into the mix. }

“Unmissable” Lonely Planet, 2014

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Kosal Khiev Words through the walls  ROMI GROSSBERG  VINH DAO

Sitting down for a coffee with spoken word artist Kosal Khiev is an absolute pleasure. He is insightful not only about spoken word but about everything from politics and human rights, to at-risk youth and prisons. Kosal is a Khmer-American born in a Thai refugee camp during Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge era. His family fled to the US in 1981 searching for a better future and like so many, ended up in public housing and just trying to survive. Gang life as a teenager eventually led to a 16-year sentence in a

state penitentiary. It was there that he discovered his voice as an outlet for years of buried emotions. America’s loss was certainly our gain when in 2011 Kosal was deported to Cambodia, a land he knew little about. His voice is mesmerizing and although he is telling his own story, he is also telling the story of so many that feel his pain, hurt and desire to rise up again and dream of a better future; a better world. I am fascinated by Kosal’s take on the world. He describes how consciousness is in pockets of the world but the mass still rules. With Internet we are able to connect more and more but we still need to find a greater way, to build a bridge and come together so that the pockets of consciousness connect and became the mass. So what is the process to his writing? “Lines come to me”. Once he has the first line, the rest is easy. He likens it to a drawing “once you have the centrepiece, it is natural, it writes itself like the picture paints itself”. }

People

Little Life FROM DREAMLAND TO REALITY  EVE WATLING

 MONA SIMON

The pathway through Preah You Vong pagoda is winding and narrow. A small slum community has grown within its walls: ramshackle wooden houses are built into every gap; vegetable stands seemingly sprout out of the walls between ancient monk tombs and K-Pop posters. It’s not just the medieval crookedness that makes this community special – nestled at its core is Phnom Penh’s community of little people Earlier this year, a W.I.L.D. party generated some controversy with its inclusion of a ‘minibar’, a bar selling shots staffed by little people. Some found it hilarious, some thought it was crass, and some were offended: should we really be treating these people as a freakish novelty? We decided to track down the minibar staff and ask them ourselves what it’s really like to be little in Phnom Penh. Sivon, Sopha, Phannorn and Lyly all live together in a raised wooden house inside the pagoda. Aged between 21 and 30, they all barely skim the 3ft mark. Holding hands and giggling, they are obviously a close-knit household, but sadly out in the wider world they don’t face the same degree of acceptance. “We feel sad and depressed a lot of the time. Some people obviously don’t want to associate with us because of our appearance”, Sivon tells us. However, despite the discrimination and bullying, LyLy has come to terms with her height: “I know I’m never going to be big”, she says, “life got easier once I accepted that”. Aside from everyday prejudice on the street, it can be difficult to find a job as a little person. The women are all originally from the provinces, but gravitated towards Phnom Penh due to the occasional novelty jobs that become available for little people. The original attraction was an offer of some Wizard of Oz-type extra roles in a Hollywood movie, but other niche employment opportunities have since arisen. At the moment, the women all work together in the Haunted House at Dreamland Amusement Park. At Dreamland their job is to stand in a darkened room, jump out and frighten the customers. Not only is the job physically demanding, but by casting their disability as something freakish and terrifying, it possibly perpetuates the prejudice that they face in their daily lives.

Sivon has a more equanimous attitude to the job. “I quite enjoy it, it’s become normal for me”, she says. “We can’t get any other jobs as people say that we are too small to do things properly. Sometimes we can even send a bit of money to our families, but most of the time we don’t have enough as we only get $90 per month”. “It can be scary”, says Phannorn, “We saw some real ghosts inside the Haunted House while we were working there”. When asked about the W.I.L.D. party, their faces light up. “We really liked doing that job”, says Sopha, “some foreigners saw us at Dreamland and approached us and asked us to work behind their bar. It was really different to what we’re used to doing. We didn’t feel any prejudice against us; we were all having fun together. It made us feel as though we actually can do normal jobs”. Sivon and Sopha’s dream of a regular job takes the form of starting their own business and running a market stand near their house. “It would be easier for us to be self employed, and it would be less physically demanding. But we don’t have the capital yet. We will stay in Phnom Penh as there are more opportunities here, but we miss our families.” }

cinema

In motion

THE RISE OF CAMBODIAN CINEMA OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE BEEN WITNESSING A REVIVAL OF CAMBODIA’S CINEMA – WITH YOUNG AND VETERAN FILMMAKERS EAGERLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT THE COUNTRY’S PAST AND POTENTIAL. THE EXCITEMENT IN FILM PEAKED LAST MARCH WITH THE ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION FOR RITHY PANH’S THE MISSING PICTURE, THE FIRST CAMBODIAN FILM TO BE NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR. WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE WHAT'S UP MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS AND STORIES ABOUT CAMBODIA’S RESURGING CINEMA. TO BEGIN, WE WANT TO REVISIT OUR INTERVIEW WITH DY SAVETH, A PROMINENT ACTRESS FROM CAMBODIA’S GOLDEN AGE OF CINEMA.

Dy Saveth – Actress of Tears Eve Watling Last [year], Phnom Penh hosted the first Memory! International Film Heritage Festival which included 9 days of screenings, presentations and workshops celebrating local and international film heritage. It particularly focused on the fleeting but intense burst of creativity during the Cambodian Golden Age of cinema in the 1960’s and early 70’s. Dy Saveth was the wide-eyed darling of more than a hundred of these surreal yet gorgeous movies that exploded with glitz and glamour, shamans and crocodiles, melodrama and musical numbers. However, all production was abruptly cut short when the Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh in 1975, murdering many actors and directors and destroying the ma jority of the films from the era. Luckily, Saveth survived. Today she is still tiny and immaculate, cutting a stately figure as she arrives to our interview, posing for both the What's Up Magazine and fan photographers with equal grace. She opens up to What's Up Magazine Mag about her early life, the difficulties of shooting a film in a warzone, and what it’s like to wear a wig made of snakes.

How did you actually get your start as an actress? At first I only thought about my education, but then the Miss Cambodia 1960 competition was announced. My auntie taught me how to walk on stage and how to greet the king, and my sister made my competition outfits. I was contestant number 9, a lucky number in Cambodia! But I was sure I was not going to win - I thought I was not good or beautiful enough. At the end of the competition, they announced that number 9 had become number 1, and I said: ‘number 1 what?’. I couldn’t believe it!

When did you realize you had to leave Cambodia? By 1975, it was very dangerous to shoot films in Cambodia because there was a lot of fighting and bombing. I sent my children to Thailand for safety, and some of my family and I were about to get on a plane to visit them when a bomb fell on the airport. We had to shelter in the basement. After we got out, my uncle saw a soldier about to leave for Battambang in his helicopter and ran to him, begging him to take us with him. From Battambang we left Cambodia in a taxi. The Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh just a few weeks later.

So how old were you at this point? Fifteen and a half. I had just turned 16 when I filmed my first movie. At that time my mother had become very sick. She told me that if I became famous that I should never forget my family. In the role I had to play, my mother-inlaw was dying and telling me to look after her family, and I began to cry during the scene because it was so real for me. Everyone in the studio was so moved that they began to applaud, and I became known as the ‘Actress of Tears’. My mother passed away before my first movie was released.

"BY 1975, IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO SHOOT FILMS IN CAMBODIA BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF FIGHTING AND BOMBING."

So she never got to see your first movie? No. But the film was a big success – it ran for two months. People came to Phnom Penh from the countryside and queued down the block to see it.

Do you have any projects coming up? I just finished shooting a new film two weeks ago called The Last Reel. I play a movie star – it’s about her life before, during, and after the Khmer Rouge. I also want to produce a film myself but I don’t have the budget yet. Right now I am a poor actress, although my heart is rich! }

spotlight on a new talent

Thorn Thanet – A Starlet with a Sting Eve Watling

“I want to be an entrepreneur. I’m realistic and don’t believe many artists have a long successful career ahead of them. I believe if you want to be an actress you need everlasting beauty and the ability to always be a total professional. I just take the roles I want – I have no interest in doing trashy Cambodian TV dramas, for example. I always ask for the story, and only accept if it’s interesting and speaks about society.“ –Thorn Thanet

}

cinema

iN PRODUCTION:

What Is Left As the Khmer Rouge tribunal drew to a guilty verdict against Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea earlier this year, the problem of how Cambodia can address the trauma of its recent past were once again being questioned. The tribunal, with its emphasis on punitive justice for perpetrators of violence, as well as psychological care and reconciliation, is bringing an internationally understood way of redressing trauma to Cambodia. However, filmmaker Jean Matis believes that Cambodia is already equipped with its own way of dealing with the past. Inspired by the research of anthropologist Dr Anne Guillou, his film What is Left will look at methods of mourning and ritual which spring from indigenous belief systems. Matis certainly isn’t shy in his critique of the effectiveness of Western intervention in the Cambodian healing process.

“Western people need to be clued in a little bit” he tells me over a cup of tea. ““What happened here in Cambodia is simply too complex for a tribunal. It can’t fit into a simplified logical process. This concept of redressing trauma is being used more and more, but it might not work for everyone. “The ma jority of Cambodians live in the countryside, in another world of Buddhism, animist and Hindu myth that has nothing to do with western culture,” he continues. “We never talk about these fantastic, resilient animist cultures that already exist. The film is a little bit controversial as it doesn’t adhere to the usual form of NGO storytelling, saying they’re the only ones fixing things – even if their work is totally ineffective.” What is Left will be composed of five pairs of vignettes, each pair looking at a Western and a Cambodian tradition of mourning. “They go from total opposites to integrating views’” says Jean. “I speak to people like Sopheak Pich, who is Cambodian but part of the global art scene. It blends in. the two different worlds are merging but I’m advocating that we move on from 90’s ideology. The movie is telling what’s going on.” Info: What Is Left was raising funds to complete production at the time of original print. }

The Missing Picture â&#x20AC;&#x153;For many years, I have been looking for the missing picture: a photograph taken between 1975 and 1979 by the Khmer Rouge when they ruled over Cambodia... On its own, of course, an image cannot prove mass murder, but it gives us cause for thought, prompts us to meditate, to record history. I searched for it vainly in the archives, in old papers, in the country villages of Cambodia. Today I know: this image must be missing. I was not really looking for it; would it not be obscene and insignificant? So I created it. What I give you today is neither the picture nor the search for a unique image, but the picture of a quest: the quest that cinema allows for.â&#x20AC;? Rithy Panh's The Missing Picture was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards last March. }

cinema

CAMBODIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Cambodian cinema is seeing a revival over the last decade. After much of it was destroyed during the Khmer Rouge, it has been a difficult journey to restart a new era in Cambodian cinema. And there is no time better to discover some of the fruits of that journey than at this month’s 5th annual Cambodian International Film Festival. And to make it more enticing, screenings across the city are free of charge to not only help promote emerging Khmer filmmakers but, also, to exchange ideas and cultures. This year’s festival has partnered with the Korean Embassy, surfing on the wave of K-Pop’s world domination. But it’s not only the country’s dance-worthy tunes and funky fashion that’s taking over, Korean cinema is also getting worldwide attention for their dark action dramas. This year, five Korean movies will be showcased at CIFF ranging from action to comedy and art house including Host and Boomerang Family. But if you’re unfamiliar with what’s on offer, this year’s festival will also feature an exhibition to coincide with the screenings. Check out Aeon Mall for exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, movie sets and descriptions of feature films. The 6-day festival begins on December 5th and screenings are happening at Sorya Mall Ciniplex, Legend Cinema, French Institute and Bophana Center. For more information check out http://cambodia-iff.com for listings and locations. }

PHOTO: Jeramie Montessuis Film Noir Studio ASSISTANT: Linda Milk LIGHTS: I-Quick Studio MODELS: Ludmila Jahn, Marion Fourres, Vannary Bau, Sela, Vibol, Sullivan, CLOTHING: Model's Own & Luna Boutique HAIR & MAKEUP: The DollHouse

Photographer: ZEESHAN HAIDER Hair: VAUGHAN JOSEPH at BEARHANDED HAIRSTUDIO Model: SOTHY SITH Make-up: BRIANNE CHAPPELL Styling: JEMMA GALVIN Photo Support: KIP RADT Studio: SO SHOOT ME STUDIO

Photographs by SAM JAM Artistic Director: SENTOSA MAM Model: LINNETTE CHHUN CHARM

Hair & Make-up/designer: PAUL SANGLAY Model: SHAI HUMPHRIES

Photographer: ZEESHAN HAIDER Hair: VAUGHAN JOSEPH at BEARHANDED HAIRSTUDIO Model: SOTHY SITH Make-up: BRIANNE CHAPPELL Styling: JEMMA GALVIN Photo Support: KIP RADT Studio: SO SHOOT ME STUDIO

Photographs by SAM JAM Artistic Director: SENTOSA MAM Model: LINNETTE CHHUN CHARM

TRY OUT

Tryout EXPERIMENTING CAMBODIA At What's Up Magazine we’re a quirky bunch. So the activities we sought always fed our eccentricities. We injured our bodies experimenting with alternative medicine; we stirred our spirits looking for answers about our future; and we bore witness to some horrific chicken fights… all in the name of discovery. We wanted to know what people were up to, not just out in the open, but in the shadows and corners of the country. Now, we want to showcase some of our craziest and tastiest adventures from the past two years.

ALTERNATIVE MEDECINE COINING Ever seen people walking round with huge linear welts on their backs, looking like they’ve been run over a few times by a tuk tuk? Chances are, they just got coined.

process: repetitive rubbing of a coin down the patient’s back in order to release the ‘bad wind’ trapped in their body. After the initial shock, I have to say that being coined is more of a generally uncomfortable sensation rather than an actually excruciating one. I only scream a few times, mostly when the coin runs for the hundredth time over a particularly bony area near my ribs. Results: Afterwards, I felt a rush of energy, but whether it was just adrenalin-tinged relief it’s hard to say. My back was tender and covered in red welts: it may have got rid of bad wind, but it made it bloody hard to wear a backpack. E.W. $2.50, including a post-coining massage on your swollen flesh.

CUPPING Coining is a form of traditional Chinese medicine. It’s original name, Gua Sha, literally means ‘scraping bruises’, which is pretty evocative of the treatment’s

Seeing my white and delicate skin the women in charge of our treatment giggles, as does the toothless grandma sitting in the corner. They know what’s going to happen.

YOGA VIRGIN BEER & BURGER LOVER AND WHAT’S UP CONTRIBUTOR C.M. GRIFFIN DECIDED TO DRAG HIS AMERICAN ASS TO SOME ALTERNATIVE YOGA CLASSES. Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a yoga dude. But despite my lack of expertise, I set off to three different studios in Phnom Penh to try three very different styles of yoga.

THE LEG-SNAPPER: Ashtanga at Nataraj Yoga Studio

I lay on the bed as my persecutor-to-be starts digging about in a dirty box. I close my eyes and hear the noise of glasses knocked together. Before I realize I’m going to get cupped she sets a long metal spoon on fire next to my face (safety first) and put it in the cup to burn up the oxygen inside. As the warm glass lands on my back my skin gets instantly sucked up. Cupping is actually a renowned treatment all around the world. Thirty years ago in western countries you would easily get four or five cups on your back to treat a cold or a flu. The technique is used to remove the mucus stuck on your lungs when you get sick.

Ashtanga is all about the levels. Each of the 6 levels has a certain sequence of poses to follow every time. The idea is to find mental equanimity and perhaps spiritual fulfillment in perfecting, or trying to perfect, those poses, which get increasingly challenging with each level. The class I sampled began with some pretty simple stuff but quickly transformed into repeated flows and hardcore poses. Ashtanga is for those who aren’t afraid to work. And while I didn’t find enlightenment, I did enjoy the hell out of my end-of-session nap, Savasana— and then I did treat myself to that muchdeserved beer.

My skin is now equally pulled up by thirtysomething glasses and I begin to feel really oppressed and have trouble breathing. The lady massages my legs and I do my best to focus on that for the next 15 minutes until she decides to release me from this painful treatment. I think I’ve never been so happy in my life than when she plucked off the first cup. P.R. Result: I look like a cheetah and I want to cry. $2.50 for everything

}

THE BREATH OF FIRE:

THE ACROBATIC:

Kundalini Yoga at the Kundalini Yoga House

Fly Yoga at Yoga! Phnom Penh

Kundalini is all about, well, Kundalini. That’s pelvic energy often described as a ‘coiled serpent at the base of the spine’ ready to be awakened. As you can imagine, awakening that serpent requires a special kind of breath which practitioners call ‘breath of fire’, consisting of short bursts of air through the nose.

Fly yoga uses straps hanging from the ceiling - think bondage - to get students deeper into poses. The straps take some of the burden off muscles that are usually straining to hold a pose, so students can really focus on form, on getting the posture correct.

Despite the idea of Kundalini and the breath work associated with it, the early part of the class was pretty chill. But then the hammer dropped, and we started doing just the kind of core exercises that make me avoid the gym. I was drained when I left. What I thought was going to be a class of lying around turned out to be a wholly physically and mentally demanding experience.

The only danger for me was the backbends, where I was supposed to hang like a limp licorice stick with only my lower back supported by the straps. I passed on that one. But I did have fun with the inversions, just hanging out upside down - even though I probably looked like an out-of-shape, poorly trained Cirque du Soleil performer. Fly yoga is the kind of stuff that you need to have some yoga experience because you should have a sense of some basic poses. If you’ve got that covered, you can really feel the difference between your normal practice and what the straps help you do. }

Cards, Palms and Elephant Eve Watling In the name of hardline scientific journalistic enquiry, I joined two What's Up Magazine staffers for a journey around Phnom Penh’s fortune tellers to find out what our futures hold. Here’s what we discovered about our rosy futures.

PSAR CHAS: The Crowd Pleaser Fortune tellers riddle this cramped and steamy market. We chose an elderly Vietnamese woman with silver sparkly nail polish. Mine and Pierre’s fortunes were suspiciously similar – we have good fortune ahead and will become rich beyond our wildest dreams. Alarmingly, she also predicted I would have three or four children. Accuracy: 2/10 Cost: $2.50 each

PSAR ORUSSEY: The Unexpected This teller correctly predict that Sentosa was about to leave the country and that life would be better for her there. Creepily, two of us were told that our mothers had had an abortion before we were born, one of which was following us around, looking out for us wherever we went. Accuracy: 8/10 Price: $2.50 each

NEAR WAT PHNOM: The Insightful Across the road from the fortune teller’s Mecca that is Wat Phnom, we visited an ex-monk who claims to hear a Buddha spirit telling him the answers to our questions. As usual, we were told that we are destined to a ripe old age and plenty of cash. I asked about my relationship and pulled a card to represent myself – the ace of spades, the pan-cultural card of the rascal. Accuracy: 9/10 Price: $5 each

}

One night as a fisherman We decided everything at the last minute, driving away from Kampot city to a fishing village located near a little white mosque. We asked around until a fisherman agreed to take us on his boat for a fishing trip overnight, despite his warning of a rough ride: “There isn’t space for a lot of people, so you’ll have to find a place to sleep on the deck. Bring food and water. If you get sick, we won’t be able to do anything about it”. After two hours of vibrating to the engine’s drum solo, we slow down the boat and finally throw the net in the sea. For the first time at 10pm, the brothers pour the contents of the entire net into the front of the boat, quickly, putting the shrimps together, the octopuses in one corner, and fishes for prohok in another, before freeing some of them from plastic bags and throwing the bags back to sea. All the fishermen bring back the catch that their wives, sisters and mothers will sell at the market in the morning. All of these guys will go get some rest during the day before returning to the sea, }

5 Reasons… Why expats hate backpackers Dear backpackers: See that side-eye you’ve been getting from some of your fellow foreigners as you’ve been walking around town? No, we’re not admiring your infectedlooking new tramp stamp – we’re wondering how long till hot season starts and you will all leave in a sweaty horde to cooler climbs.

THE UNIFORM Aztec print tank top, jasmine pants, and a pair of fake ray bans resting on a severely sunburned conk.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUAL AWAKENING OVER A BUCKET OF COCKTAILS Blissfully unaware that there’s about a thimbleful of vodka in the whole thing, of course.

CULTURAL INSENSITIVITY Just because monks wear robes where you can see one shoulder it does not mean you can go to a pagoda dressed in butt shorts and a bikini top.

DRIVING UP THE PRICES Not technically your fault in a place like Cambodia where nothing has a price tag, but you realise you’re paying about 5 times too much for everything

RUINING JACK KEROUAC FOREVER It’s impossible to read ‘On the Road’ without imagining it’s an obnoxious travel blog written by an English lit undergrad who has left his suburb for the first time. Thanks, guys. }

Move Over Sushi: The growing popularity of Izakayas Julia White Ninja is one of the half dozen Japaneseowned and operated Izakayas that opened across the city over the last year offering more than the standard fare of maki rolls and tempura. Today, they can be easily spotted by their glowing red and white Japanese lanterns adorning the entranceways, and the smell of skewered meat grilling over charcoal that wafts onto the street. That’s exactly the smell that invites you across the street from Ninja to Yakitori Jidaiya, where their specialties are skewers of chicken, beef, and even mushroom, with an extensive drink list to match.

Jidaya’s manager, Daisuke Kamachi, said if their Phnom Penh restaurants do well the company hopes to expand to Sihanoukville and Siem Reap in the future. That’s because Cambodia is still a low-risk market, according to Ninja’s Hasebe. “In Japan we have the idea that opening or doing business in Japan is risky right now because of the economy. Investing money in Asia’s developing countries is better than investing money in Japan.” }

TO THE DEATH A bird was prepared for the next fight. A 5cm metal spur was taped to its foot. The birds knew exactly where to stick their opponent – below the wing and straight into the lungs. Once a bird had its opponent impaled it used its other talon to grab onto the neck and keep its victim from getting away.

Cockfight: the blood boarder Nathan Thompson

Some say the weaponised fights are more humane because natural fights can go round after round and result in no clear winner. Weaponised fights end when one bird dies or cannot get up again to fight. If both birds are down the referee takes a decision. Match fixing is common and some birds enter the fight secretly injured by their owners.

It was 10am on Tuesday and the blood was already flowing. It was vomited from the mouth of a cock who had staggered into the encircling wall gasping for breath in between brutal hemorrhages. Through dying eyes it saw the ring floor; covered with gory polka dots. Its opponent, the victor, was held aloft by his owner and a cheer gushed from the crowd.

The owners filled their mouths with water and expelled a fine mist over their birds stroking them until their feathers glistened. They walked them around the ring so the crowd could get a good look. “This is my last time”, said Kien Giang a rice farmer. “I want to quit gambling”. But he had already spent the money he was saving to build a new house for his family was he even capable of stopping?

At the hem of the ring sat the richest gamblers resting their guts and mopping their brows. Around them were bleachers holding a crowd of 100 men on their feet, craning for a better view, smoking and drinking energy drinks. Around the bleachers, on the hangar floor, dozens of fighting birds crowed in wire cages. The noise was like the rush of white water rapids, it caught and propelled you, addicted, looking for the next fight.

Now it was just the birds, held by their owners and the referee, the whole event choreographed to perfection. Hardly surprising when you consider the sport has been ongoing in South East Asia for centuries: there is even a relief carving of a cockfight on the walls of Bayon Temple in Angkor Wat. Despite official bans it still happens all over the region. Every Cambodian I have talked to knows someone involved in the sport.

The cockfight was located in a casino somewhere on the Vietnamese border. The crowd was 95% Vietnamese, who had popped over the border to Cambodia because casinos are illegal in Vietnam. Cockfights are also illegal in Cambodia but the law is regularly flouted with impunity.

200$ FOR THE WINNER All attention was now on the ring as the cocks got ready to begin. The crowd had worked itself into a frenzy of craving. By comparison, the cocks were perfectly at ease – they seemed neither frightened nor stressed. They were released and

Places

Our country Exploring Cambodiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best spots

More Than a Building:

Phnom Penh’s Bohemia ALLISON LUDTKE

PHNOM PENH – “Drugs and prostitution” is the recurring answer from the average Phnom Penh resident when asked to describe the “White Building”. More than a thousand people live there today: artists, musicians, community activists, fruit vendors and civil servants. Beneath the faded facade, scattered trash and tarnished tin sheet window linings, a rich history is concealed. Originally called the Municipal Apartments, this 300-meter, 468-room building on Sothearos Boulevard was designed with Phnom Penh’s tropical climate in mind and built with open staircases so families could live above their businesses. The building was part of the Bassac River Front cultural complex, overseen by Vann Molyvann. It was constructed in the 1960s by Cambodian architect Lu Ban Hap and Russian architect Vladimir Bodiansky and became the first “public housing” in Cambodia, offering low and medium income families an affordable place to live. Teachers, civil servants and many artists engaged in the National Theater made the landmark their home. But when Cambodia fell to the Khmer Rouge, tenants were forced to leave. The building survived the regime but many former residents did not. Of the few artists that did, some began returning to their

haven joined by displaced citizens looking to rebuild their life in the city. Soyam Pun, 75, whose grandfather worked for the Ministry of Fine Arts, moved her whole family into the building after the Khmer Rouge. She and her husband, a flute maker, have lived here since. “My life is easy around the building. I am happy in this community.”. Today, Cambodia is transforming at a rapid pace. Luxury car dealerships and new hotels are cropping up in every neighbourhood. Families across the city fear their homes will be the next in line for demolition in an age where skyscrapers take precedence over history. But in a country where 20 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, affordable apartment complexes, like the White Building, are essential. Ton Vanna, 60, rents for $150 per month. He says he earns only enough selling items in town to make it day-to-day. Many residents like Vanna say the central location is key to their livelihood. They can’t afford their own transportation and depend on the central location to get to their jobs. Ee Sarom, Executive Director of Cambodian Urban NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut says forcing people to move from the city centre is a financial burden for those who

can’t afford the cost of transportation in and out of the city. Many lose their already meager paying jobs as a result. Lyna Kourn, 24, a social worker who attended a school in the building, says the strategy of development companies is to “first buy, then evict.” “Many people do not know where to go”, she continues. “They will be forced to a new location and have nothing.” Tenants say if they receive “fair compensation” they would consider moving. But the meaning of “fair compensation” differs among residents. Mr. Sarom said, “It’s hard to say fair compensation will follow market price. They should at least be given enough to buy another home in the city, $4,000-$5,000.” Luaha Tong, 53, a vendor who sells goods in the building, says, “I don’t know where I would go. I don’t want to leave here.” Many of their stories are similar- tales of exodus from their provinces in search of financial stability in the big city, finding shelter in a building once representative of Cambodia’s social change. But their looming eviction is another common story. More than150,000 people have been displaced over the past two decades, often as a result of forced evictions, according to a 2013 report by Sahmakum Teang Tnaut. “People are living. Some are rich, some are poor, but they all are living well there,” says Ms. Kourn, who now works with at the same school she attended. Behind these walls live government officials, classical dancers and fruit vendor. A melting pot. The 99 percent. The real Cambodia. Underneath its jaded exterior, this community serves as a representation of the greater collective of Phnom Penh. }

Gated Dreams

What do satellite cities mean for the future of Phnom Penh? EVE WATLING

“New History is Coming” – Camko World City Slogan

Just north of Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork area the city’s latest development fad is being hemmed: Satellite cities and gated communities. Satellite cities – so called as they independently ‘orbit’ a larger metropolis – are already popular in many developing countries with a large wealth divide, such as Egypt and Indonesia. Built by independent development companies, the communities

are often gated and self-contained, holding offices, shops and even hospitals. The trend was kickstarted in Cambodia by the 2005 launch of South Koreanbacked Camko World City, a 119 hectare gated development project. Since then, many other enclosed satellites have been approved by the government. Until recently, Grand International City Phnom Penh was the most ambitious of these projects. A joint-venture between a Cambodian and an Indonesian company, the 260 hectares are set to hold villas, schools, office buildings and shopping centres. The gated city promises exclusivity: not only do guards protect entry points, but house prices range from $80,000, and lifetime membership to the 18-hole golf course will set you back a cool $49,610. The finished suburbs have a stilled and brooding atmosphere, devoid of the smells and bustle of Phnom Penh. A guard at the mouth of each cul-de-sac, it feels somewhere between a university campus and an American suburb. Wrapped around the rickety development site are advertising images of shiny computer animated housing, glowingly

"In this computer generated world, there is no dirt and decay, no unexpected divergences from the planned programming." lit from inside, and SUVs parked in the driveway. In this computer generated world, there is no dirt and decay, no unexpected divergences from the planned programming. It doesn’t resemble the site very much at all, which is perhaps why the word ‘dream’ constantly recurs in promo material. But whose dream is this, and what does it mean for the ordinary people of Phnom Penh? The demarcation of public space as the domain of particular socio-political groups is a growing trend in Cambodia. Most high profile of these is the controversial land rights disputes, including the eviction of 4,000 families at Boeung Kak Lake. The rich residents here; the poor residents there - by dividing up the city like this, there is a danger of disconnection and isolation between different social groups, so that the reality of each other’s existence becomes unseen. Hermetically sealed off from Phnom Penh, able to shop, work, and sleep without passing through their gates, satellite city residents will never have to see the slum areas of the city, which function as the dystopian through-the-lookingglass twins of their own enclaves. }

Bokor Palace is a large and imposing architectural shell that looms on the cliffs of Kampot province, lurking over the water toward Vietnam’s Phu Quoc. It sometimes seems to eerily float when the thick fog descends. Today it stands deserted. Sokimex Corporation, alone, holds the fate of the original magnificent Bokor Palace in their hands and, surprisingly, have done a wonderful job of it.

A Great Gamble Peeling the layers of Bokor’s famous hotel and casino JOE KLONDIKE

By sandblasting the interior as well as the exterior of the building, then using fresh concrete to patch up the crumbling infrastructure, they have achieved the truly sublime. The result is a kinetic mash-up of two thousand shades of grey creating mesmerizing patterns everywhere you look. The Bokor Palace is faithful in every detail and gorgeous in its combination of ingenuity, conceptual weight and visual poetry. Go see it now...before it shape-shifts yet again. }

KAVIAR RESTAURANT We are fortunate to have this chance to restore a Vann Molyvann building. King Norodom had commissioned Vann Molyvann, Father of Cambodian Architecture, to build the residence of King Suramarit in the heart of Phnom Penh. The place was later passed on to Prince Norodom Sirivudh and it became his primary residence. During the civil war it was abandoned and we know that it eventually became the office of the “École d’Extrême-Orient”, the French Embassy, a Japanese school and now our restaurant, Kaviar. It would be a shame to demolish such a beautiful “chef-d’oeuvre” and to erase all the history that lives within it. We love buildings with history. That’s why we tried to preserve as much as we could.

We thought – even if we haven’t been able to contribute anything significant to the country yet, we could contribute to the preservation of some of its heritage and be able to leave a story for the future... Something for the younger generation to look up to. }

Places

Kirirom’s Ghost Park C. M GRIFFIN

In the heavily wooded rolling hills shaded by the Kirirom National Park lies the Kirirom Hillside Resort. The place is a ghost town—or ghost resort to be more precise— a post-apocalyptic festival of abandoned cartoon favorites, space ships, and massive concrete dinosaurs. There’s even a small zoo (yes, with live animals).The property is part crumbling theme park, part dilapidated picnic area, and all creepy. And it’s well worth a visit.

that the wonderland characters that appear forlorn and forsaken in this emptiness are the playfellows of hordes of scampering imps. But at the resort’s compound, the cabins, pathways, and pool deck see few visitors these days. Other than an occasional passer-through or, in my case, an overnight guest, the only souls on property belong to a skeleton crew of maintenance workers and kitchen staff. And they are an elusive group. They materialise to take care of your needs—a kayak, a horse ride, a spare towel, dinner, a drink—and then they vanish. Back in your room, just look out from behind the ever so slightly drawn curtain. Everyone is gone. Everything is silent. And it’s hard to imagine it otherwise. But as you turn into the room and see your partner napping in bed, it is easy to imagine that you are the last survivors, two of the few destined to roam the desolate landscape in search of something useful out in the melancholic madness beyond your door. }

The manager is a kindly, gaunt, laconic, part-time military man, and when pressed, he quietly assures that the resort still fills to capacity and the theme park bulges with thousands of visitors during the ma jor Khmer holidays. He says that in the daytime, the now childless playground is a frenzy of activity,

highlight & gloss

HIGHLIGHT & GLOSS

 ANNA MISCHKE

Anna has been with the What's Up Magazine family since nearly the start. And we couldn’t be happier to have had such a strong woman contribute her monthly dose of beauty and fashion advice to our readers. For the last six months Anna has focused on the creams, lotions and potions that make up our beauty routine. And she was fearless – trying even the boldest trends including snails… yes, snails. Here’s a recap of her reviews.

RE VLON COLORBURST MATTE BALMS At any given moment, it’s guaranteed that I’ve got one or two of these babies in my touch up bag. With a light peppermint scent and Triple Butter Complex- shea, mango, and coconut- your lips not only look smashing but feel nourished at the

same time. These balms go on smooth but leave a velvety texture and a matte lookan equation that can be difficult to master when searching for quality lip colors in The Kingdom, especially at the grocery store! A matte shade only brings out any imperfections or flaky, wind chapped lips so prepping is an important step. One of my favorite ways in keeping a soft pout is to exfoliate with a bit of sugar and honey or coconut oil for an all natural and quick fix. }

COCONUT OIL I’ve been a huge fan of coconut oil for quite some years now, and since it is so readily available in Cambodia my obsession has only increased. Not only is coconut oil bangin’ for your bod on the inside, it’s incredible for the outside too. Used as a makeup remover, beard softener, body and facial moisturizer, bath oil, hair conditioner, and all around beauty treatment- the natural oil gently removes impurities and makeup without scrubbing or using harsh chemicals, and all while moisturizing. Another bonus? A dab on the brow bone or cheek bones imparts a dewy look that’s perfect for a day at the pool or when your skin is feeling extra parched. }

AVENE – SKIN SAVING LOTIONS While finding good skincare products can be a task, there are definitely some solid brands and worthwhile products to look out for. My absolute favorite, can’t-livewithout brand – Avéne. Extremely creamy, the rich Avéne Cold Cream. goes on smooth leaving a dewy, un-greasy residue that creates a perfect makeup primer or hydration throughout the night. Made with white beeswax and almond oil, I immediately feel the Cold Cream soak into my skin. I will generally start my day with a light application of the Cold Cream followed by the Avéne 50+ SPF High Protection Mineral Cream and set my makeup with the Avéne Thermal Spring Water before heading out into the streets of Phnom Penh. When you’ve decided to put down the unhealthy whitening cream, try Avéne. Trust me; you’ll be happy you did. }

FACE MASKS The new trend of sheet masks have been popular in Korea for years keeping skin looking poreless and feeling moisturized and smooth, but has recently caught on worldwide. Luckily for us in Phnom Penh, they’re a pharmacy and drugstore staple. The varieties are endless, but I’ve found Purita brand to be my favorite. Made of cotton or similar fiber, sheet masks are cut to fit and contour the face with holes for the mouth, nostrils, and eyes. Recently I tried the Aqua Propolis Essence, propolis a product that bees produce that maintain the hive with antibacterial properties with antioxidants, emollients, and antimicrobial elements. It left my skin feeling plump, moisturized, and fresh all while watching an episode of Mad Men and sipping water from a straw. Next time you see one of those strange packets with the creepy looking face accompanied with an image of a glittering diamond or dripping honey, pick one up and prepare your skin for the ease of a brilliant at-home facial experience. }

LONG LASHES Some gals are naturally blessed with fluttery lashes reaching great lengths - and then there are those like me who need some extra boost to achieve bat-like lashes. Fortunately, there are a few ways that assist us sparsely-lashed ladies!

MASCARA Tried and true, mascara has been around since ancient Egyptian times. While the options for mascara aren’t wide in Phnom Penh, there are two formulas that stand: L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara for its clump free application, fluffy brush, and buildable formula. Revlon’s ColorStay Overtime Lengthening Mascara lives up to its name, and lasts throughout the day, lengthening lashes without flaking off.

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STRIP LASHES Found in every salon in The Charming City, strip lashes are the go-to for a quick longlash fix. Easy to apply with the slightest bit of practice and literally pennies for a set.

EXTENSIONS An absolute favorite of mine, extensions are applied by a technician. Like strip lashes they can range from subtle flicks to the outer edge of the eye to mink lashes that look like you’ve got a little caterpillar resting on your eyelid!

GROWTH SERUM If you really want to go for the gold in getting long lashes that last, invest in lash growth serum. Be extremely careful when buying: if you buy from an uncertified source, you may be applying something harmful near your eyes which can result in discoloring, irritation, and even loss of eyesight. }

TAKING CARE OF COLOURED HAIR When I decided to change my raven hair to a silvery platinum blonde in October of 2013, it was a massive transformation and one that requires preservation and maintenance. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided you want to go for a big change and colour your natural locks here are some tips and tricks to keeping your tresses healthy:

Use a shampoo and conditioner made specifically for colour treated hair.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wash every day. The oil that your scalp naturally secretes is important for your hair follicles, the overall health of your coif, and strengthens the overall bond of the hair.

Use a UV protective spray. Yes, even your hair needs sun protection.

Utilize a colour extending shampoo.

Deep condition and/or mask at least once a week.

Be careful with the hot stuff. As in curling irons, straighteners, crimpers, or anything that is hot and touches your hair.

That old tee shirt you were thinking of tossing out? The soft cotton keeps the natural moisture in your hair and the friction of a rough towel can cause breakage and dryness. }

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cinema

up tempo

LISTENING TO CAMBODIAN PULSE IF YOUR ONLY EXPOSURE TO A KHMER TUNE WAS BY TURNING ON YOUR TELEVISION, YOU’D BELIEVE THIS COUNTRY’S MUSIC SCENE WAS JUST K-POP’S YOUNGER, LESS SLICK COUSIN. BUT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WE SEARCHED HIGH, LOW AND EVEN AS FAR AS THE AMERICAN WEST COAST FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING ORIGINAL AND DISTINCTLY CAMBODIAN. AND WE FOUND IT. WHETHER IT WAS BEATBOXING IN A SIHANOUKVILLE BASEMENT OR PAYING HOMAGE TO THE GOLDEN AGE, CAMBODIA IS TAKING OWNERSHIP OF ITS UNIQUE AND DIVERSE SOUND.

Meas Soksophea , The Queen of Teen Fresh, fun and fabulous EVE WATLING

Flicking her glossy bob and pouting for the camera, Meas Soksophea is every inch the teen idol popstar. Despite being in the midst of a heavy touring schedule that is taking her across the country performing for tens of thousands of fans at a time, she breezes into the shoot dead on time, bringing a bubbling, glowing energy to the proceedings. After bursting out of the Kampong Speu countryside and into the centre-front spotlight of the Cambodian pop scene, Soksophea has kept her hoards of young fans happy with increasingly slick, catchy pop that balances its Cambodian roots with an international standard production value. One of her latest hits, All Lies, combines Khmer lyrics with a killer hook, a flashy American-shot video and some Rihanna-like ‘ey ey’-ing in the chorus.

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If Cambodian music ever has an international breakout popstar, it’s hard to imagine who else it would be. But behind the gloss and high drama of her videos, Soksophea remains a true country girl. A fierce eco-warrior, she’s outspoken against the destruction of Cambodian forests: her Facebook updates feature endangered Siem Reap rosewoods alongside glammed-up publicity shots. We caught up with the singer to find out how she is staying so down to earth during her meteoric rise to stardom. DO YOU TRY AND BE A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL? Yes, I want to be a good role model. There are times where I dress sexily, but I want my fans to understand fashion and also at the same time understand Khmer culture.

WHAT DOES KHMER CULTURE MEAN TO YOU? The Khmer personality is friendly and modest. Sometimes people judge me on how I dress, but I want them to understand that it doesn’t reflect how I act.

WHAT WAS YOUR LIFE LIKE BEFORE? I was born in Kampong Speu. My father had me really late, and he retired when I was still young. Our family’s economics broke down and we needed income. When

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? I’m working on lots of music projects, and making sure everything is top quality. I want to join the international industry, although I’m not planning to sing songs in English. Music has no language: if it sounds good people will listen to it. On a personal level, I have a goal to plant 20,000 trees. I’m looking for somewhere to plant them at the moment. I HEAR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND SUPPORT THE MOTHER NATURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE DEFORESTATION AND DAM-BUILDING IN PHNOM AURAL AND ARENG VALLEY. IS THIS TRUE? Yes. The monks on the project approached us and asked for help as we share their passion for nature. People working on the project have no support so we try and help them out. If we have free time we plant trees there. I also promote it by visiting the locations and taking pictures and sharing them on social media so more people know about it, and hopefully inspire more artists to speak out. I want the monks to know that I’m on their side. I want to draw attention from around the world to tell people that Cambodia is losing its forests: it needs to stop. I want my friends to know about this and join the fight to push for the planning of tree plantations and stop the companies, and let them know that what they’re doing to the forest is wrong. HOW DID YOU BECOME A SINGER? In 2002 I started my career singing in restaurants and bars, and then I got a contract in 2004.

I was in high school my family didn’t want me to work in music yet, so I skipped school to join music competitions! I came second in the whole country when I was just 14 or 15. Even after that they still didn’t really want me singing, but my brother promised to look over me so my parents let me be – they knew they couldn’t stop me!

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Back then, singers weren’t appreciated socially. My whole family were teachers and government workers so they complained to my parents: it was a struggle to break through that. They’re happy now though, and are proud of me – the whole village is! WHO INFLUENCES YOU AS AN ARTIST? I like 60s artists like Pan Ron. Of the artists from the 80s, Meng Keo Pich Chenda is my favourite. I listen to modern international music like Beyonce – there’s no modern Khmer music that really influences me. HOW DO YOU PUSH YOURSELF CREATIVELY? When I’m making new songs I get inspiration by getting into the lyrics, and thinking of a way to express them through music. THE VIDEO FOR ‘YOUR LUCK AGAINST MY TEARS’ IS SET IN A GARMENT FACTORY. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS? The lyricist wrote this song about everyday living conditions for ordinary Khmers. He saw how the life of a woman working in a garment factory is really hard and badly paid, and then he wondered how some men – boyfriends and husbands - can cause even more trouble for her. This really touched me, so I made the video as realistic as possible. YOU HAVE A SONG CALLED “WHY CAN’T THE COUPLE IN LOVE LIVE TOGETHER?” – DO YOU BELIEVE CAMBODIAN TRADITION IS TOO OLD FASHIONED IN THIS WAY? It’s not too old fashioned. Many people get together, break up and then go back to their families asking for help. Sometimes it’s good to listen to your family’s advice. Young people in Cambodia don’t have that kind of money yet so they need support from their families. DO YOU THINK IT’S HARD FOR A CAMBODIAN ARTIST TO GO INTERNATIONAL? In 2006 I went to America and met a songwriter, and we keep in touch. He knows how the music industry in Cambodia is and he wants to improve it, so he keeps writing good music for me. I want to help the

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Cambodian industry move forward and bring it to an international level. The industry lost many artists in Khmer Rouge. We are behind compared to other countries, so I want to make original songs and new melodies. The people who work for me are sometimes really young – some are only 15 years old, but their passion is so strong that I let them write songs for me. I want to stop the copying of lyrics and promote originality.

"SOME TIMES PEOPLE JUDGE ME ON HOW I DRESS, BUT I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOESN’T REFLECT HOW I ACT." WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME? Drink palm wine. Just kidding! I don’t have much free time but I like to see my family and go to the pagoda. I also like to exercise, or sing playfully to get new song ideas. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? I want to start a school providing musical training – we don’t have that yet in Cambodia. If we did, people would realise music is a career, and young musicians would get support from their families. I want to give them inspiration and encouragement. Also, I want to own a zoo. When I visit the countryside, I listen to the sound of the birds and the water – its music from nature. There’s times when I want to leave the city and listen to it because it de-stresses me. I have land 15 k.m. from Phnom Penh, and I hope to bring birds and cicadas there – it will be a singing zoo! }

Mouthing Off

The Unlikely Rise of Cambodian Beatboxing Joseph Hincks

On a wooden stool in a Sihanoukville basement, 17-year-old Chay So Chan bops his capped head to a recorded drum loop. There is a lull while he waits for the rhythm to take hold, and then the kid performs a series of aural contortions: snares click from the corner of his lips, his glottal stops snap the kick drum, and his nasal cavity buzzes a slow synth. This is beat-box – the production of music without instruments, and one of the original elements of hip-hop – and this is Cambodia. Sihanoukville-based Chan discovered hip-hop from the comfort of his own home when he was captivated by a beat-box video he watched on YouTube three years ago.

Can you remember the first song you learned? I ask Chan. He picks up the microphone and his reply is instantly recognizable: the swaggering chorus of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. Beatbox – which is a recognized sport as well as a musical form – requires serious training and initially Chan practiced three hours per day until he had mastered the basics. “A lot of the older generation only care about studying; they say ‘study and you’ll get money,’ they don’t think about art and music,” he says. “I study but when I’m stressed, hip-hop music helps me to relax. When I directed energy towards making hip-hop, my life became happier.” It was the internet that introduced Chan to Beatbox, but he has also used it as a tool to proliferate his fame. The Cambodia

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Beatbox Facebook page, where Chan posts photographs and instructional videos has amassed over 10,000 likes, and Chan mentors some 60 aspiring beatboxers in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. Chan is passionate about training Cambodian beatboxers but they don’t have a space to practice or many outlets for their talent,” says Shazia Shah, founder of Sihanoukvillebased art cafe Dao of Life,

Meanwhile, Chan hopes to battle artists in Vietnam and Thailand, where the scene is more established, and, eventually, take on the European beatboxers – such as French king of fast-beat Alem – who originally inspired him. “I want to represent Cambodian arts,” he says. “Everybody knows Thailand overseas, but some people don’t even know where Cambodia is. They don’t know that Cambodia is the Kingdom of Wonder.” }

Dengue Fever I feel like our music is the new Cambodian Psychedelic rock. It builds on the talented body of work left behind from Sinn Sissamouth, Penn Ron, and Ros Sereysothea. Definitely different, dark and moody, while pop and groovy, we just keep it going for the love of the music. }

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: N O I T A S R E V N IN CO Rewind

WE HAD PLENTY OF INTERESTING AND EYE-OPENING CONVERSATIONS SINCE WE LAUNCHED THE SERIES EARLIER THIS YEAR. FROM FOOD AND FASHION TO ARTS AND CULTURE, WE LEARNED FROM A GROUP OF TALENTED CHEFS, DJ’S, ARTISTS AND JOURNALISTS WHAT IT TAKES TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD. WE WANTED TO SHARE AN EXTRACT FROM EACH CONVERSATION - A NUGGET THAT STAYED MEMORABLE WELL AFTER WE SAT DOWN.

 PIERRE RABOTIN  NICK SELLS @ SO SHOOT ME STUDIO

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Going underground JAN MUELLER – PRODUCER, AKA DUB ADDICTION’S PROFESSOR KINSKI DJ ILLEST – CO-OWNER PONTOON, DUPLEX, EPIC DJ SEQUENCE - PHNOM-PENH-UNDERGROUND.COM MYLES HALLIN –SHOWBOX, PLAN C PROJECTS, YAB MOUNG RECORDS SIMON C VENT – DJ, DROP DEAD DISCO

How do you see the current scene in Phnom Penh – both for dance music and live music? How has it changed from the past? Jan: When I first came here 11 years ago there was basically nothing – just a few expats playing cover bands. Now it’s developing, more acts are coming and I really like the diversity of bands – ska, dub, punk. But I think there is still a lack of originality. Simon: In the last couple of years it’s really changed – there are a lot of good events to go to and people can afford to be picky. What kind of crowds do you see at your events? Is it Khmer people, expats, travellers or a mix of the three? Myles : For events like Cambodian Bass Project, it’s some Khmer but mainly expats. For events that we do with the alternative Khmer bands, its pretty much 90% Khmer. Jan: Obviously you’re going to get the western audience for the reggae music that we’re playing. But, although it’s not been easy, I know that this music is in the Khmer heart as well and that’s why we are getting increasing numbers of local people at our gigs.

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Is there a reason why more Khmer people aren’t coming to the events you’ve listed? Sequence: I think that there are some really strong cultural, economic and social factors in play here... Myles: I think it’s genre specific. I’m not really sure that electronic music captivates the Khmer people. Illest: At Pontoon, we find that the youth respond to HipHop – come to the club when I play and you’ll see spontaneous dance battles on the floor. The kids know the music and buy all the CDs and listen to the mixtapes. Sequence: You’ve got obvious social barriers of different cultures, as well as simple economic ones – to buy a beer in a club is $1.50 – that’s out of the reach of a lot of people. What’s the future of the Cambodian scene? Some people say that in five years time, Phnom Penh will be the biggest city for dance music in SE Asia… Jan: I think it can be the Berlin of SE Asia – in terms of living space, in terms of creative space. The city has already attracted a load of great people and I think it will attract many more. }

Visual

ARTIST, GRAPHIC DESIGNE R VICTOR BLANCO – GRAFFITI R, OWNER XEM GALLERY IGNE DES EM RIEM – FASHION AL ARTS TEACHE R DINA CHHAN – PAINTER, VISU

How do you see the visual arts scene in Cambodia? Victor: When I first got here in 2007, Meta House and Java were the only two galleries. And now we have so much – we have X- EM Gallery, we have Sa Sa... At first the scene was catered to an international, Western crowd but now I see art by Cambodians, for Cambodians. Why are they becoming more interested? Em: They see from people like us that they can make a living with painting. There are many new art schools around too. How do we encourage young Khmers to make art? Victor: I feel like kids here were never exposed to art, and when they get into higher education they have this desire to improve but they’re too afraid to make mistakes, too afraid of failure. Is the message of your artworks important? Dina: When I see people like on street 240 painting, it all looks the same. Even when I went to Vietnam, it all looked the same. It’s their choice what they do with their talent, but when I see someone doing something different and creative I think that’s a great challenge – big ideas are good. They don’t just see and do – they see and think.

arts

“kids here were never exposed to art, and when they get into higher education they have this desire to improve but they’re too afraid to make mistakes, too afraid of failure” How do we improve? Victor: From a street art perspective – graffiti’s uncontrollable, it’s like a free party, anyone can come. But it needs direction. Not just daubing and tagging – you can take areas that have just been forgotten and rejuvenate them with art. For example the lakeside has been forgotten even though it was synonymous with backpackers and tourism – but the communities still lives there. That’s one place where we could go and paint walls. But if there’s no direction it will just be fat cat tags outside of schools. I don’t want that to happen – I’m a little bit older and I’ve gone through the tagging stage! }

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Photo journalism LUC FORSYTH – FREELANCE PHOTOJOURNALIST, RUOM COLLECTIVE THOMAS CRISTOFOLETTI – FREELANCE PHOTOJOURNALIST, VIDEOGRAPHER, RUOM COLLECTIVE LAUREN CROTHERS – WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER, THE CAMBODIA DAILY SAM JAM – FREELANCE COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER RICK VALENZUELA – FREELANCE REPORTER, VIDEOGRAPHER

Seeing everything that’s happened in the country [in the last year], how hard is it not to take sides, especially when you report clashes between protestors and police? Luc Forsyth: People can think that the media are pro-opposition, but the truth is that we don’t get credentials to access the other side. It’s really difficult to give a balanced perspective in that context. Thomas Cristofoletti: Unfortunately it also depends on what the newspaper or magazine wants… Luc: Exactly. I recently included pictures of the two police officers who were hurt during the protest and they weren’t interested at all when I submitted them. You obviously are trying to take ‘good’, visually interesting pictures. Does this go against the imperative to provide factual information? Lauren: Sometimes the message isn’t picked up at all. But when you’re documenting events, the bottom line is to be true to what’s going on. The fact that the picture is a good shot doesn’t go against the information presented in it. The only thing that goes against information is to add or remove something from a photo, which is ethically wrong.

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Does the fact that you stand with a camera in the middle of what’s happening impact the situation you try to document? Luc: People have an idea of what they think you want to see, and during the crackdown they would stop loading injured people on motorbikes because they wanted me to take their picture. Do you draw a line with what you show in a photo? Rick: I was editing pictures for Phnom Penh Post when the stampede in Koh Pich happened during the 2010 water festival - more than 350 people died during this tragic accident. There were a lot of pictures of dead bodies that we wouldn’t have used. Is it difficult to work in Cambodia? Sam: Adventure type stories happening in the jungle always work pretty well. Thomas: Finding good and authentic stories is hard and after it’s not easy to sell them. When we first did our story “blood sugar” we couldn’t sell it but now it’s selling everywhere. Magazines find interest when big international firms are involved. If you manage to find an international angle, it’s much easier to sell the story. }

CRISTIA NOU PICART – CHEF, DOORS GISELA SALAZAR GOLDING – CHEF, TEPUI TIMOTHY BRUYNS – CHEF AND OWNER, THE COMMON TIGER THE KIMSAN SOK AND KIMSAN POL : EXECUTIVE CHEFS FOR ANGKOR W GROUP How is the culinary scene in Cambodia? Gisela Salazar Golding: It’s growing for sure, with more expats coming and also locally with more interest in different types of food. We’re no longer in a market where it’s all about French or Cambodian cuisine. Kimsan Sok: Cuisine has evolved; we are mixing different influences, adapting the traditional recipes. Timothy: Around the world, people are getting more exposure to Cambodian food and are curious about it. They are coming to the realization that Cambodian food is not the same thing as Thai or Vietnamese. How do you integrate these influences in your cuisine? Kimsan Pol: When it comes to Cambodian cuisine, most of our customers are not used to it. They don’t even have a name in their own language for the herbs and vegetables we cook, and those flavours are strange to them. For example, I tried to serve prahok [fermented fish] which has a very strong flavor and usually customers will just try it and not really eat it. So what I did it is that I paired it with scallops, a taste they’re used to, and that balances the prahok. Kimsan Sok: When some Cambodian people try our fusion food, they find it strange. It’s not the traditional way they know. Some people don’t want to change their flavours. Cristia: It’s a matter of education; it takes time for the tastes to evolve.

How do you foreign chefs adapt your cuisine? Timothy: It’s really exciting to work with new flavours: it’s different and challenging. I try not to be bound to any specific cuisine even in term of techniques and methods. The only important thing is to focus on the product in order to showcase and promote it. Is being a chef considered as an interesting career by the younger generations? Kimsan Pol: It’s becoming popular among young people. Kimsan Sok: They also understood the opportunity in terms of position and salary. It’s easier to get a job as a chef than as staff. Gisela: If you have the curiosity, there is so much freedom and opportunities to discover new flavours and new techniques. It also raises the question of transmission… Cristia: As a chef you really need to take care of your staff and train them. You have to be passionate about the food but also about the people… Timothy: ...and make people understand that being a chef depends on hard work. It can be a tough work environment with long hours and high stress. The only way to sustain a career is to be passionate about the food, about the products. }

Cambodian culinary scene

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Cambodian fashion PAULA KAHNA – BUSINESS MANAGER TIGER MEDIA, RED DOT ADVERTISING AGENCY RYAN DREWE TAYLOR – STYLIST, THE DOLLHOUSE, PAPERDOLLS DON PROTASIO - FASHION DESIGNER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR FASHION LAB MAGAZINE SOAP KE – OWNER FASHION LAB MAGAZINE, CAMBODIA FASHION WEEK, PHNOM PENH DESIGNER WEEK RAKZ MONTANA – FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER, OWNER RAKZ STUDIO Fashion industry has been booming over the past two years in Cambodia, but where are we in term of international standards? Paula Kahna: Until we get a few more local designers, I don’t think that we can put ourselves on an international fashion map. I think there are some great foreign designers here but for now Cambodia is mostly known for garment factory industry, like Bangladesh or Laos. People know us because they see “made in Cambodia” on the tag of their clothes. Don Protasio: But I don’t think there is a fashion industry happening here yet. It’s just a lot of creative people doing their own thing. The goal is to have a community here supporting the fashion and then be able to export the products. That’s what happened in Bangkok. It seems also that in Cambodia people get only crazy about famous brands. The entry of new massive shopping malls will give even more access to them. Is it a threat to local designers already struggling to make a name? Ryan: At the beginning, Cambodia didn’t have all the branded stores, People wanted the brands and got them, but now they’re looking for more creative things and turning to vintage and local designers. So of course when brands are coming in

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people will go to department stores, but in the end you’ll still be looking for the interesting stuff. Don: It can be a struggle for young designers, but in a way it gives them a chance to be more creative and really push their own voice. That way they’re not just copying what’s out there but creating something unique. Is there a Cambodian style? Soap Ke: We’re still at this stage where we haven’t fully understood our history. We just went through a few decades of difficult stuff, so we don’t have the culture of fashion that other countries experience. At this point we’re still trying to get everything in and hopefully by the end of the process we can find our own voice. But that is a long process. Young designers don’t have that yet but they’re really driven. What are the big challenges? Don: Somewhere along the way we will get to a point where it will just explode. But the most important thing if you want to be a model is to be serious about it. You want to be a designer? Learn the craft. Right now what is exciting about this country is that there are no limits. }

Going underground Cambodian fashion

JAN MUELLER – PRODUCER, AKA DUB ADDICTION’S PROFESSOR KINSKI DJRODDY ILLESTFRASER – CO-OWNER PONTOON, DUPLEX, EPIC – SCOTTISH STAND-UP COMIC DJ RILEY SEQUENCE - PHNOM-PENH-UNDERGROUND.COM DAN – JOURNALIST AND BRITISH STAND-UP COMIC MYLESMULDOON HALLIN –SHOWBOX, PLAN C PROJECTS, MOUNGHIGH RECORDS SCOTTY – STAND-UP COMIC; CREATOR YAB OF VERBAL COMEDY SIMON C VENT – DJ, DROP DEAD DISCO SAM THOMAS: - AMERICAN STAND-UP COMIC

What’s the comedy scene like in Cambodia? Sam Thomas: It’s part of the local wedding ritual to have comedians. Dan: Cambodia has its own style of comedy. It’s not the same as the west Roddy Fraser: I had so many shit gigs in Britain, especially in London. Here in Cambodia it’s much better and a nurturing environment for a comedian. Sam: The community is such a melting pot. All different kinds of white people. Comedians often talk about the fact that they’re single and masturbate a lot. How do you talk about that in Cambodia? Sam: It’s fun to write about the dating scene, especially about dating Cambodian women. I wrote a joke once out of frustration because I would be out with a Cambodian woman and everybody would assume she was a prostitute. But she wasn’t. I wrote a lot on how people react when you’re dating someone who doesn’t identify as white. Scotty: Did the frustration lead you to masturbation? Dan: In comedy there are some dangerous ground where you can easily be labeled. The amount of NGOs seems to be a topic as well: Dan: It really depends how you approach the topic. In that case you need to know

what you’re talking about. You can laugh at the guy who is extremely well paid, driving a Lexus and owning massive villas or you can talk about the guy living here working in development. We can’t forget that the crowd coming to our shows are technically people working at NGOs. Roddy: The audience demographic is NGO workers, English teachers and sex offenders. If you’re lucky you get the full three. Are there some topics you will never joke about? Roddy: I’m going to do some stuff about Khmer Rouge because everybody is talking about it. I live with people who went through the Khmer Rouge and you talk about it. You have to laugh about because it’s so horrific Dan: I do know that Khmers joke about rape and domestic violence. You can see that on tv. I saw this skit where there is a woman in a traditional wooden house, she’s stumbling around with a big jar of alcohol, drunk, covered in bruises from a fight with her husband. And it’s a comedy skit. That’s on tv today. That’s what they laugh about. Scotty: I know a couple of Khmer jokes that end with “and then he died”. }

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december AGENDA 4

The History of Things to Come - SIEM REAP Vintage Clothing Sale!

I AM CHUT WUTTY @ Meta house

Documentary and Q&A with filmmaker Featuring exclusive footage of Wutty in the months leading up to his death, interviews with activists and family members as well as those benefiting from deforestation, Fran Lambricks documentary I AM CHUT WUTTY (2014, 54 min) exposes the fierce battle against illegal logging. 8pm I free entry

Funky Town @ Vito Get psyched and come jiggy with us for a funkadelic night! Hip to the groove of live music, watch our foxy models during the funky fashion show and get down with the trippy tunes of DJ Russell Hunt, DJ Bree, DJ B Plan and DJ Lefty Stryker. 8pm till late I $8

5-10

Cambodia International Film Festival @ Phnom Penh’s best cinema and outdoor venues

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@ Pages - Siem Reap

Each year, in early December, the Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes place in Phnom Penh for six consecutive days of film celebration gathering thousands of young Cambodians as well as foreigners in theatres. The program usually highlights movies made in or about Cambodia but also a selection of films from the world in diverse formats short and long fictions, documentaries, animation. I free entry p cambodia-iff.com/

JOB FAIR

@ Top Job Cambodia Learn about many open job opportunities in Cambodia, and get your face-to-face interview with a professional recruiter on site. I free entry p www.topjobcambodia/ jobfair

The History of Things to Come Vintage Sales are so very excited to be packing up our vintage treats and adventuring your way next week from Saturday the 6th untill the 8th of December 9am till 8pm at Pages-Siemreap. 1930’s satin robes, bedjackets, 1940’s silk chiffon gowns, 50’s summer sundresses, 50’s lace prom dresses, 1960’s Audrey Hepburn cocktail shifts, rompers, psychedelic MOD shifts, a huge array of 1970’s prairie peasant hippie dresses, calico, lace trimmed festival maxis, 1980’s Dynasty cocktail dresses and a rainbow selection of 80’s cotton practical daydresses. Romantic skirts, silk blouses, leather bags and 80’s heels and belts. We will also have a small selection of adorable childrens vintage from the 40’s till 60’s! 9am - 8pm I free entry

MADE IN GERMANY - German electronic music live in Cambodia @ Night Market, Phnom Penh

The first concert of rising German indie stars STABIL

ELITE in Phnom Penh, in cooperation with SMART and GANZBERG. STABIL ELITE will be supported by Phnom Penh-based Dub Electro Band DUB ADDICTION, featuring German sound wizard Professor Kinski aka Jan Mueller and the ambient trance outfit ELECTRIC UNIVERSE, performing with CAMBODIAN DRUMMERS, other guest musicians and DJs. Cambodian singer/song writer JIMMY KISS will sing a few of this original songs, including his hit “Baby I’m Sorry”. 5pm I free entry

THE REINVENTION OF D-CLUB @ D-club

free entry

Last Tapas Fever of the Year @ Doors Phnom Penh

Save the date, Last Tapas Fever of The Year is here! Come and indulge in a 2 hours. It's gonna be Special, Fun & Different... Prepared by Aitor Olabegayo & Cristia Nou Picart. The musical journey to accompany your Tapas rampage will be provided by the one and only Dr Wah Wah. I $20

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