Blue lady blog » Entertainment

Cambodian-American girl’s hit song :-)

Kounila Keo — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:55:21 +0000

Great Song: We are the World (*_*)

High School’s Love Story: Cambodia’s Gay Film

Kounila Keo — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:19:58 +0000

Cambodia's first-ever movie about gay love, but second movie about homosexual love

I was sort of amazed when I saw this new graphically designed poster of this first-ever movie about gay love “High School’s Love Story”. Cambodia nowadays seems to be into homosexual love, doesn’t it? Another movie about homosexual lovers hit Cambodia’s film market not long ago in April 2009, drawing thousands of audience. It was entitled “Who am I?” Mrs. Poan Phuong Bopha, the film’s writer, said that her film was successful beyond what she expected. And I was one of the audience. I like the theme and how she structured the story. However, the producing process and stars ‘ performance, in my opinion, have not improved much. But well, it was really nice to look into a new angle of society, rather than disclose it.

Even in Clogosphere (Cambodian blogosphere), I notice there’s a growing trend of Khmer blogs about gay novels. I see Cambodian kids and youngsters are trying to express themselves through stories they write for others to see and also explain people difficulties of gays together with gays’ positions in society. Gay novels they write are often sad because the characters, both men, always end up apart. Why? I used to read one American gay novel, which I found quite tasteful . Society apparently condemns gays and lesbians, but they are a minority of people needed to be heard.

For a quick look, go to read some stories by this kid who blogs in Khmer. And, this is a Khmer Gay Novels blog in English.

Certainly, I am going forward to watching “High School’s Love Story”. I don’t really think this is a new issue. Gays and lesbians have always been in Cambodia. I understand why they have been hiding themselves from society. A lot of discrimination is going on everywhere against homosexuals or same-sex lovers. Gays and lesbians should really have their own rights to express themselves in whatever way. Just because they are, like everybody else, human beings.

Same Same but different

Kounila Keo — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:28:18 +0000

I watched the film about these two people. How touching.

This is the photo of the real couple that inspires this movie “Same same but different”. Real Ben and Sreykeo are reportedly in their 20s.

ben-sreykeo

This is the real scene which the film imitates. “Same same but different” is a very touching love story between a German young journalist and a Cambodian former club girl. There was a constant fighting inside Ben when he fought with the idea of loving Sreykeo who worked at the club, called the Heard of Darkness. In Cambodia, men who decide to do that have to endure a lot of ill talking and interfering relatives. After meeting for the first time and ending up in bed together, Ben and Srey Keo were draw to each other when Srey Keo shared with him her heart-breaking life with her siblings and a mother who gambled. It doesn’t take a minute to realize that life for her was just to work and earn money. The movie features herself living in the White building (called ‘Buidling’) which in reality looks like an abandoned derelict building.

There were many controversies. Ben saw himself hooked to Sreykeo. Whether it’s for sex or for fun is still questionable in the film or reality in my opinion. Ben asked her to stop working in the club and promised to send her money every month. Only while Ben was back in Germany working to earn more money did Srey Keo find out she was infected with HIV. Instead of running away, Ben tried to find the best medicine for Srey Keo. At that time, there were not real ones available at hosptials or in the local market.

Ben had to deal his way up to purchase it from abroad. Ben went back to Germany to earn more money. Srey Keo, though, continued to work just as a beer girl without selling sex as part of her promise to Ben. Life wasn’t easy for Ben in Germany and either for Srey Keo in Cambodia. Srey Keo demanded a little more money for her family while Ben struggled for his life as well. Depressed and angry with Ben who stopped corresponding with her, Srey Keo resumed her previous job. But fate brought them back together. When Ben was about to give up, something pulled him back. “Srey Keo has only you,” he remembered her telling him on phone.

What captured my attention the most was when Srey Keo asked Ben how many candles he would bring with him into a dark cave. He replied that he would bring along ‘two candles’. Srey Keo interpreted for him that he loved two girls in his life. At the end of the movie, Sreykeo asked him again, and he said “one candle”. “What if the candle were blown off?” Srey Keo asked. “Then, I’d carry you forever,” he said.

Althought the movie might not have covered every real scene that would take place in reality, I find the movie very captivating and very true. I’d observed so many painful stories that I even thought such a sweet thing didn’t exist at all. I did suppose that Ben would leave Srey Keo forever without looking back when she told him she had HIV. But he proved to me that a foreign guy like him who can have plenty of sex in his country has a precious inner mind, even under depression and pressure, to come back to Srey Keo.

As I see it, Srey Keo is a simple girl who needs a person who truly loves and can take care of her. The question I always ask is what proper life skills each person should acquire to survive and live decently. Desperate Srey Keo, like thousands of other girls, needed to keep her family full. This is the question the authorities should take into serious consideration. Besides all these pleasant romantic things that happened, the movie also features Cambodia as place for sex tourism. Though Ben should not be included, there’s some truth that his friends or people he knew of come here for that. For sex and drugs.

The lesson learnt from this movie for me, is ‘they love each other no matter what history each brings to the present.’ And this is what I can call ‘Love’.

After all, all I can say is that: this movie reflects sheer and painful reality of Cambodian society and how Cambodia is struggling for its survival. Amid suffering, shame and poverty exists true love of a couple who do not care about what history each brings to the present. What matters is not the past but the present where one can make a change. Srey Keo, despite being a former club girl, has changed herself because of Ben, and vice versa. That’s to say, no matter where you are or what you do, you are CAPABLE OF LOVE.

The story would have ended this way: Srey Keo died of HIV and Ben would live in Germany with happiness or remorse due to lack of commitment. However, Ben and Srey Keo are determined to break all stereotypes an discrimination imposed upon them. A romantic plus humanitarian film of the year.

Best

High School’s Love Story: Cambodia’s Gay Film

Hi Bonn!

Kounila Keo — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:23:19 +0000

This is a video my friend produced. Since it’s about me, maybe it’s nice seeing what I said.

No related posts.

First touch with photos using Picasa

Kounila Keo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:17:42 +0000

This is a work done by Sonam Yangki and me.

No related posts.

Kon Khmer Koun Khmer (Khmer Cinema, Khmer Generations)

Kounila Keo — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:01:02 +0000

Consisting of 60 individuals from all walks of life, Kon Khmer Koun Khmer (Khmer Films, Khmer Generations) has shaken Cambodia after it produced a 45-minute film that comprises of about 14 sequences). The film was later screened at several places, especially at one of the surviving movie theatres called Cinema Lux in Phnom Penh in September.

Established in early 2009, Kon Khmer Koun Khmer has been led by Mr. Davy Chou, a self-taught film-maker and a sole instructor of the whole team to make the work progress very well. All of the individuals are mostly from universities such as Royal University of Phnom Penh, Royal University of Fine Arts, Limkokwing University, a French school (Lycee Decarte), Mith Samlanh organization and several more.

Young Cambodians from these institutes have been instructed by Davy Chou to do something together, to show that not only the old but also young can do something new for the country. After spending nearly six months, Kon Khmer Koun Khmer made the first film called “Twin Diamonds” the first-ever film produced by students.

In October, Kon Khmer Koun Khmer for the first time initiated an exhibition which aimed to bring back the fond memories of the old films produced between 1960s and 1970s. The Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979 had destroyed many documents but the concerted efforts of the Kon Khmer Koun Khmer helped bring the old film-makers, actors and actresses into day light. The 9 days’ exhibition received very positive responses from local as well as foreign audience to want to find out what the films of the 1960s and 1970s were really like. Cambodians, young and old, were enthusiastic about the event.

The parties involved in the exhibition were the art group (photographers, architects and artists), communication team, designing team and the management team.

Kon Khmer Koun Khmer has still kept its high hopes to be the first young Cambodians to restore the old films as well as civilized culture Cambodia used to have, back to the present. Until now, KKKK has produced one film and one film exhibition.

K.K.

program of the exhibition/rock and roll party

: “Twin Diamonds”

Background of the Kon Khmer Koun Khmer Team

Have you ever seen clothes of the 1960s (Cambodia)?

Kounila Keo — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:48:31 +0000

With suggestions of Dy Saveth, one of the surviving Cambodian actresses, all these young Cambodians dressed up and tried to show the public their fond memories of the past.

K.K.

P.S. These were the dresses they wore during the rock and roll party of the 9-day exhibition of Golden Era.

Love me tender

Kounila Keo — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:53:07 +0000

Can love be that fresh, tender and calm?

Photo by Molida Chhay

“GOLDEN REAWAKENING”

Kounila Keo — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:58:42 +0000

schedule in English

Another great and very exciting event of the year has arrived! Many Cambodians grasp that opportunity! The exhibition of the golden area of Cambodia’s film industry during the 1960s and 1970s has started since 17th October at 6pm at Chinese House, located along the riverside.

Unique and Fresh.

The owner of the Chinese house, Brad Godden and Davy Chou, a young film-maker whose grand-father was Mr. Vann Chan, one of the most famous film-makers in Cambodia and his production group, colloborated and worked together to bring this idea up: bring back the memories of the great past.

Cambodia shouldn’t be remembered just for the darkest period (Khmer Rouge regime). We had a very rich culture just before that Ultra-maoist period. We had about 33 movie theatres and during all those years, 350 films were produced. Most of the movies were adapted into Khmerization, with its internationally and locally famous genres.

Eleven old films will be screened during the exhibition which in total lasts 9 days, from 17th to 25th November. Morever, paintings, photos and architecture model of old movie theatres, actors and actresses will be displayed at the exhibition.

Event: Golden Awakening: Bringing the Age of Cambodian Film Back to Life

Where: Chinese House

When: 17th to 25th October

Read more from its blog.

Trailer of Film “Twin Diamonds”

Kounila Keo — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:29:35 +0000

Title of the film (Twin Diamonds)

Logo of the production team (Khmer Generational, Khmer Film)

Produced by 60 students given film instructions by Davy Chou, film “twin diamonds” will probably be the first movie encouraged to be screened for the public. The screening will be honorably joined by the Minister of Information and several famous Cambodian film-makers of the past (1960s) such as Dy Saveth, Ly Bun Yim, Ly You Sreang and Yvone Hem.

Here is the english trailer: http://www.vimeo.com/6696526

Here is the Khmer trailer: http://www.vimeo.com/6696973

Here is the blog of the film: http://twindiamonds.wordpress.com/

And here is the facebook link : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164028430409&ref=mf#/event.php?eid=164028430409

Enjoy

Cheers,