Theaters are Buzzing with “Sound of the Night”
The Cambodia International Film Festival will be highlighting some great short films by Cambodian filmmakers this year, marking a grand return after a two-year hiatus.
One short film that generates excitement is “Sound of the Night” by Chanrado Sok and Kongkea Vann. The 20-minute story tells the story of Vibol and his brother Kea, who sell noodles on Phnom Penh’s streets every night. Although some of their only customers are gangsters and thieves, they often face troublesome threats from them. In the face of the city’s growth, they consider their unstable income and envision a different future.
Sound of the Night explores Cambodian livelihoods and how dreams can change as quickly as Phnom Penh’s skyline. In the film, both directors express their concerns about the negative impacts of this rapid industrialization. It discusses how rapid development can lead to difficult circumstances and how it can limit one’s opportunities for a bright future. Throughout this short film, we explore the life of a certain individual who struggles with his living conditions. The people around him chase wealth without realizing what they have lost in the process.
About Sok Chanrado
“I create the film from the memory of something that happened to me,” Chanrado said. “I lost my home and started something new.” Born in 1994 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, he lost his childhood home, the White Building. It was taken down after losing the fight financially to city developers. Sok was then inspired by Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Rithy Panh and his 2005 docu-drama about homeless performers who had survived the Khmer Rouge in the remains of an old theater in The Burnt Theatre (Les Artistes du Théâtre Brûlé). He then continued on to train at Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center in Phnom Penh and has created 10 short films addressing issues surrounding poverty and homelessness.
Money and Dreams
“I think this is not just between the rich and the poor. This happened to all people. It’s not just Cambodia. It happened all around the world.” The film took over a year to shoot all over the city of Phnom Penh as financial budget constraints limited his options.
Next Project
Chanrado is currently working on his next film, which continues his exploration of money’s effect on the human soul. “It’s about a couple who are broke and have very different ways of thinking, but they are concerned about the public’s opinion of them,” Chanrado explained. “The story is about how they try to get a loan from the bank to buy the house. But for me, a loan to buy a house is not a home. I mean, like doesn’t belong to you. We work hard to get the home, but it’s a house, but not home.”
Watch “Sound of the Night” in the Cambodia Shorts section during the Cambodia International Film Festival starting June 28- July 3. Go to https://cambodiaiff.com for more information.
Thursday 30th : 7 PM at Major Cineplex (AEON Mall 1)
Friday 1st : 1:50 PM at Legend Premium Exchange Square
Saturday 2nd : 12:04 PM at French Institute
Sunday 3rd : 2 PM at Rosewood
Written by Sotheavy Nou