The programme changes each month and the event gives organisers the opportunity to showcase a wide range of films from both well-known and unknown film makers.

July's showings begin on the 1st of the month and are shown regularly until the last film is screened on the 31st of the month. 

Meta House was opened in 2007, working with the free University of Berlin. Its aim is to work with and promote contemporary artists. Meta House is located on street 264, close to Wat Botum Pagoda and just a few minutes walk from the Royal Palace. 

Tourists and other visitors to Phnom Penh can easily make their way around the city using the excellent public transport links. There is a regular bus service which covers the city and many tourists make use of the motorcycle taxis.

When it comes to finding a hotel Phnom Penh offers a wide choice of comfortable accommodation at reasonable prices. There are a number of hotels in the area close to Meta House, which are popular with visitors due to their proximity to many tourist attractions. However, Cambodia is not yet on the main tourist trail and there are bargains to be found when it comes to booking a hotel. 

Lek Boonlert, Head of Marketing at DirectRooms, says, "Booking accommodation as far in advance as possible is the best option, when you are visiting an area as popular as this district of the city."

About DirectRooms

DirectRooms an independent discount hotel Reservations Company based in Asia. Established and
Online since 2000 with over 45,000 hotels worldwide. 

For further information please contact Lek Boonlert:

Email: email us here
Tel: + 66 (0)76 241 145

Source:http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/directroomscom-rooftop-cinema-in-phnom-penh-156165.php

His arms and chest coated with gangland-style tattoos, his eyebrow pierced, Tuy "K.K." Sobil sits in a cafe in Phnom Penh beside his 5-year-old son, Unique, adopted from drug dealer parents who couldn't cope.

"I'm trying to get him to eat his vegetables," he said. "He gets his bad habits from me."

K.K., short for "Krazy Kat," knows all about bad habits: The onetime member of the Long Beach Crips served eight years in prison for armed robbery before being deported in 2004 to Cambodia, his parents' homeland.

Now, six years after he found himself abandoned, impoverished and largely unwelcome in an ancestral land he'd never seen, the 32-year-old has tapped into long-forgotten break-dancing skills to become one of Cambodia's unlikeliest role models.

His goal: to keep thousands of street children from making the same mistakes he did.

K.K.'s life was upended by a U.S. law that authorized deportations of noncitizens with any criminal conviction, from murder to shoplifting. Although he was born in a Thai refugee camp, never visited Cambodia and lived in the United States since he was 4, neither K.K. nor his illiterate parents formally applied for citizenship after he turned 18.

But K.K. reckons the deportation pulled him out of a life that probably would have led him back to prison, or possibly to his death by now. "Doper, may he rest in peace, Doper passed away," he said of one former gang member.

When K.K. landed, shellshocked, in Phnom Penh and looked around at the impoverished, war-torn country, the last thing he envisioned was a return to break dancing, which he hadn't done since he was 13. But after another deportee who knew of his reputation spread the word of his skills, street urchins badgered him until he finally agreed to give lessons in his living room.

"There were 40 kids in the room every night," said Michael Otto, K.K.'s best man at his wedding to a Cambodian woman. "It was like a sauna."

Working with youngsters left little room for self-pity. Sure, he'd had it tough. But at least the United States had public schools and welfare departments, both sorely lacking here.

"I realized I needed to help out," he said.

Before long, he left his job at Korsang, a nonprofit drug treatment center, to start the Tiny Toones youth center, housed in a run-down building with surging electricity, rats and leaking walls. Poverty, gangs, drugs and family abuse, a legacy of decades of war and dysfunctional government, left thousands of orphans and street children badly in need of help.

Although rapping, break dancing, beat boxing, and deejaying — and K.K. — are the center's trademark, its real mission is to empower youngsters, help them kick drugs, and teach basic language, arts and computer skills.

"K.K.'s my hero," said Sun Makara, 19, who grew up on the street scrounging garbage, stealing and doing drugs.

Makara, who sports a pierced left eyebrow and wears exposed underwear over low-hanging pants, has turned his life around and is teaching break dancing to troubled youths at Korsang and Tiny Toones.

At the center's large outdoor dance floor, young wannabe hip-hop stars do headstands, back flips, one-hand hops and windmills to a pounding boombox, while around back, new tracks are being cut in a makeshift recording studio.

The center is partly funded by grants from charitable foundations, individual donations and money earned selling T-shirts, hats, stickers and a short Tiny Toones album mixed on aging equipment. Funders say the group needs to get more organized to help more youngsters, and hire more support staff. K.K. acknowledges that administration isn't necessarily his strong suit.

"K.K.'s story is very inspirational at many levels: himself, the children and Cambodia trying to come back," said Hoa Tu Duong, a program officer at the charity Global Fund for Children. "We see enormous potential, but we also see there's lots of work to do."

Many of the songs coming out of the center have a social message; one, "Huff Gow," is about sniffing glue. They often integrate modern vocals and beats with 1960s Cambodian oldies, which took their inspiration from Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and big band music.

Break dancing, which started in the 1970s in the U.S., has expanded worldwide, especially in Asia, with a global Battle of the Year dance competition featuring top contestants from around the world.

As Tiny Toones' reputation has grown, other doors have opened. American hip-hop group Jurassic 5 has stopped by, and six top dancers whom K.K. taught toured the U.S. last year.

As a deportee, K.K. couldn't accompany them. But he followed them on YouTube as they showed off their moves and out-danced competitors in formal and informal matchups in Madison, Wis., New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Seeing them perform without him by their side was bittersweet.

"It made me sad, but also proud," he said.

Tiny Toones dancers will represent Cambodia at the regional Battle of the Year in Singapore this summer. (In a strange coincidence, during a previous performance overseas, in Hong Kong in 2008, K.K. ended up sitting beside former President Clinton, who had signed the deportation law.)

Tiny Toones' success is a reflection of K.K.'s charisma and his connection with youngsters, said Holly Bradford, an American who was his employer at Korsang.

"He has a magic to him that continues to amaze me. He's done right, he's proven himself. It's America's loss in my book."

K.K., the oldest child of impoverished onetime farmers, started hanging out on the streets of Long Beach early and drifted into break dancing when he was 8.

Over the next few years, he developed a reputation for his hip-hop moves as far south as San Diego.

"We had no fear," he said.

At 13, he joined the Crips, drifted into crack and dropped break dancing, leading to his armed robbery conviction at 18.

He insists that he wasn't guilty, but he's not making excuses.

"What I didn't do, I got caught for," he said. "Everything I did do, I didn't get caught. What comes around goes around."

He was deported in 2004, a few weeks after his release in 2004, leaving behind his estranged former partner and son Kayshawn — now 10 or 11, he's not sure — with whom he stays in periodic phone contact.

Gang life in Phnom Penh and the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is similar, he said, but Cambodia is more violent. Police here often respond slowly or not at all, and it's more a knife than gun culture.

Although he understands the code of the street among gang members, K.K. said he's become increasingly worried about getting caught in the middle when he's called to break up a fight.

"You try to be a role model, but it gets scary," he said. "Over here, there's no insurance, no benefits. And I have a family now."

His growing fame has attracted critics. Some Cambodians assume from his looks that he must be a drug dealer. Others accuse him of undermining Khmer culture.

His response: "Everywhere in the world you have hip-hop. Don't forget your culture, but you got to learn new things."

He's made peace with the move here and now considers Phnom Penh home, though he misses his parents and three siblings.

During his proteges' U.S. tour, someone put his mother, whom he hasn't seen since 2004, on the phone without warning. Although he's talked to her often, emotion overwhelmed him and the tough street guy broke down.

"She cried," he said. "Then I cried. Everyone started crying."

As he looks back, his biggest regret is not being a better father to his American son.

source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-cambodia-breakdancer-20100611,0,3799977,fu ll.story

Antonio's reply to a Khmer's email regarding Pradal Serey and my comment at the end of the article.

n n It’s a much bigger issue of education, reading, and lazy jealousy.
By Antonio Graceffo

Today, I received an email, from a Khmerican again, asking me about which is older, Muay Thai or Bradal Serey. As much as the question bothers me, because I have been asked so many times, I am also bother by the complete lack of knowledge, experience and education reflected in the arguments that hear. 

Normally, I try to be the nice guy, but today I am in a pissed-off mood, so I wrote the truth, the truth I have been sitting on for the last how many years that I have been involved with Cambodia. Probably after this, it won’t be safe for me to go back there. because everyone knows the best way to deal with a situation you don’t like is to kill the person who told you about it. 

Email from a Khmerican:

hey antonio. you probably get asked this alot, but i do have one question that i always stuggle to find the real answer for, and you being in the southwest of asia could probably answer it.


what is the truth behind muay thai?
i know that there is big controversy right now
in the fighting world about how muay thai and pradal serey
are similar in many ways. me, being cambodian would 
think agree that it originated from cambodia knowing the history
between the thai's and khmers. even till this day the thai are still trying to claim khmer ancient temples, so they can show the world
and market it as theirs.... and im one with respect,
and don't want to be disrespecting the art of muay thai if 
my assumption is wrong. another reason why i ask is because
here in america, muay thai is big. and i believe the world
deserves to know the truth. this controversy between the two arts
needs to clear up.


Antonio’s reply:

I have never been to southwest Asia, neither, to my knowledge, does southwest Asia exist.

Jack, I have written so extensively on this subject and I am sick of answering this question. If yo did a simple google search “Antonio Graceffo Bradal Serey vs. Muay Thai” you would find a slue of articles, but in true Khmerican fashion, you didn’t bother to read before forming your opinion. 

First off, you were educated in America and yet believe Cambodia is in southwest Asia. Can you imagine how bad the education system is in Cambodia? The average Khmer, whether in Cambodia or in USA, can’t even sit down give you a five-minute overview of Khmer history that makes any sense or has any connection at all to reality.

I am so tired of how uninformed they are on both sides of the ocean. I have written a very nice book about Cambodia called “Rediscovering the Khmers.” It is easy to read and people could learn a lot form it. Wikipedia is even easier to read, and it is free, but the average Khmer can’t be bothered to do real research or reading about their own country’s history.

I had a Khmer who wrote me and said Cambodia invented boxing and the proof was that the Khmer word for boxing or fighting is bok. Or wy bok. So clearly Cambodia invented boxing, the French stole it and somehow the word made its way into English. Then the entire world conspired against Cambodia, and we went and wrote tons of history and documentation showing that boxing in Europe dates all of the way back to the first Olympics which occurred more than 1,000 years before Christ and more than 3,000 years before Angkor Wat.

This is madness. It represents complete apathy, laziness, jealousy, all wonderful traits if you wish to remain the poorest country in the world. Sorry, the eighth poorest country in the world.

The history of boxing is well-documented and you can find tons of free stuff to read online or at your local library, if you are in America or Australia, where books can be obtained for free but people are too lazy to read them.

The history of modern Bradal Serey mirrors, almost exactly, the history of modern Muay Thai. In the 1920’s the French brought rings, boxing gloves, rules and so forth to Cambodia, modernizing the sport. Proof of this fact is that when you train in Cambodia, which 98% of internet warriors never have, the words for cross, upper cut, and knock out are all French words, even today.

That is of course unless you believe that “crosse” is a Khmer word which was taken by the French, back to Europe, the translated into English, “cross,” and adopted into English boxing which didn’t exist yet. 

In Thailand, essentially the same thing happened at the same time. His Majesty the King was studying in England for years. When he returned home to ascend the throne, he brought a lot of modern concepts from England, including driving on the right and the army wearing red tunics for parade dress. he also brought the concept of modern boxing and the ring, gloves, and rules were added to Muay Thai. That happened in the 1920’s and the invention of sport Muay Thai marks the end of the period referred to loosely as Muay boran, or ancient Muay.

Yes, I know that boran is a Khmer word. I speak both languages and went to school in both countries, which again is something that 99% of internet warriors didn’t do. 

Througout history, particularly during the Ayutthaya Period, Thailand borrowed advanced knowledge of arts and science from Cambodia. To this day, 30% of Thai spoken vocabulary is composed of Khmer words. The Khmer words are used for elevated concepts, such as government, religion, and science. In Cambodia, however, many of these words have been lost, as the Khmers adopted the French words.

The same for boxing. Khmers adopted a number for French boxing words, whereas Thais created their own Thai words for boxing concepts. 

As a side note, the language of the Kings Court in Thailand is ancient Khmer. The language of the Kings Court in Cambodia is French. 

Written Documents

No one on this planet has ever questioned the existence of Chinese Kung Fu because there are written documents, dating back thousands of years, created by china but also by foreign visitors, documenting Chinese Kung Fu. Indian martial arts have a written history of more than 3,000 years. And no one questions it because they took the time to write it down. 

The only written record ever of the Angkorian empire was written by Zhou Daguan, a visiting monk/diplomat from China, in his book, The Customs of Cambodia. The Cambodians didn’t bother to record their own history. Many Khmers like to blame everything on the Khmer Rouge, so they will say that Cambodia actually wrote tons of stuff, but the Khmer Rouge burned it. This is not true, because if written records had existed, the French would have read and translated them. Nearly all of the early archeological and anthropological work done in Cambodia was done by the French, including excavating Angkor Wat and making it into a world heritage location and tourist destination. If documents had already existed, that would have saved the French scholars a lot of time. 

Clearly there were no written records made. 

Whole wahrehouses of French documents and research did survive the Khmer Rouge and one of my early jobs in Cambodia was site translating French archeological reports, because in 2004, 50 years since independence, those documents left in Cambodia still hadn’t been translated into Khmer or English. Many of the pieces I translated were related to other temples in and around Siem Reap, outside of the Angkor complex.

I have read The Customs of Cambodia, 99% of internet warriors and Khmericans haven’t. It is so short, it is unbelievable. It would probably take you an hour to read it, but apparently an hour is too long for most people who write me on the internet. The whole book would probably fit in ten pages of standard printer paper. It doesn’t mention boxing or Bokator. The book was translated from Chinese, not by a Khmer scholar, but by John Gilman d'Arcy Paul, who I would assume was a French linguist. 

Here is the answer to your question.

The oldest written record of boxing in Southeast Asia was in Thailand nearly 500 years ago. However, there are carvings on the walls of Agkor Wat which depict a martial art, most likely Bokator, which we know were made somewhere between 1,000 and 700 years ago. There is no text. There are no writings of any kind and the oldest written records of Khmer boxing probably are not even 100 years old. The oldest writings of Bokator are less than 20 years old. 

There are old film footage and news reels of Muay Thai dating back to the 1920’s.

Many Khmers claim the reason why there are no writings is because of the Khmer Rouge Regime and all of the documents which they burned. The Khmer Rouge regime was a horrible event in human history. And I am very sorry the Khmer people had to endure that. But the reality is, before 1975 only about 10% of the Cambodian population was literate. The first novel was only written in Khmer language in the 1950, under the Prince Sihanouk’s reign. Khmer couldn’t even be written with computers or type writers till about ten years ago. There is nothing, no documentation and never has been. 

Why is Muay Thai more well-known outside of Cambodia? 

Most Khmers blame every single problem on the Khmer Rouge or on Thailand. The regime ended in 1979, Muay Thai gained widespread popularity in the 1990’s mostly because of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships).

As a pro-active, independent person I would ask, what steps, aside from getting angry and making obscene postings on youtube, has Cambodia done to promote bradal serey in the world.

First off, the mere fact that you used the word Bradal Serey in your question suggests that you have read one of my articles, because I always transliterate the word as “Bradal” as opposed to “Pradal.” If you google the words bradal serey, you will find articles and videos done by me make up about 50% of what is available. If you google Muay Thai you will find tons and tons of stuff done by a lot of people, including the Thai government and national associations in Thailand. 

My point being, the Cambodian government has done nothing to promote bradal serey. The boxing federation in Cambodia has done nothing to promote bradal serey. The fighters, the promoters and the TV networks have done nothing to promote bradal serey outside of Cambodia. A few individual Khmers in California and Australia have created websites and online networks to promote the art and the name, but the overwhelming majority only write bad things about Thailand online or threaten my life and somehow think this will solve the problem.

Cambodia refuses to join the World Muay Thai council because they object to the name. Granted, I understand their point. But that doesn’t explain why they won’t join any of the other hundreds of world kickboxing bodies and fight internationally. When Eh Phou Thoung went to train and fight in Australia, without permission from Cambodia, his brother Oed Phou Thoung was suspended as punishment. I interviewed other Cambodian fighters who were fighting in Thailand and earning money but were ordered back by the Cambodian establishment who threatened their safety and income or their family’s safety and income if they didn’t come back.

This is a reality. And if you don’t believe me it’s because you have never trained or fought in Cambodia, in which case, you shouldn’t even have an opinion, and this whole exercise is a waste of time. 


Fact, any person can fly to Thailand tomorrow, enter a camp and train.
Fact, other than Paddy’s Fight Club, which is foreign owned, there is no place for foreigners to train in Cambodia.
Fact, there is not one camp with accommodation in Cambodia.
Fact, Thai fighters fight outside of Thailand.
Fact, Khmer fighters are (for the most part) not permitted to fight outside of Cambodia
Fact, Thailand has not one, but two, huge national Muay Thai stadiums where professional fights are held and televised.
Fact, in Cambodia they don’t even sell bradal serey shorts or T-shirts. 
Fact, it is a matter of prestige for foreigners to go fight in Thailand.
Fact, there are only a handful of international fights in Cambodia annually, and only in the last two years did they invite any actual foreign champions, such as Zidov.
Fact, in Cambodia, you can’t have professional fights between two foreigners, which means there is no heavyweight division in Cambodia. 

Summary: Yes, the carvings on Angkor Wat are older than written records of Muay Thai. But there are no written records of Bradal Serey at all. Cambodia makes zero effort to export bradal serey or bradal serey fighters. Cambodia doesn’t fight internationally. And it is nearly impossible for foreigners to train in Cambodia, except at Paddy’s Fight Club. 
You said you wanted the world to know the truth. Every word in this document is truth. I am curious how dedicated you are to the truth. Will you publish this? Will you send it out to other people so they can learn the truth? Or will you call me obscene names and threaten my life, as often happens when I write something that upsets Khmer or Khmericans. Will you dispute the facts, arguing from a position of opinion, hearsay, or wishful thinking.

Sadly, I doubt you will even continue reading to the end of this email. But if you do, this is the part which I wish you would do, but which I bet you won’t.

Will you take the time to learn and research your own country’s history and culture? Will you start a website or web campaign to promote, in a positive way, bradal serey and other aspects of Khmer culture? Will you come to Cambodia and train in Bradal Serey or Bokator? 

Will you run out and buy a copy of “Rediscovering the Khmers”?

The choice is yours. You have this document, native speaker ability in English and an American education. It is up to your to decide how to use those tools to help Cambodia. 

Source: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/notes/antonio-graceffo/bradal-serey-and-muay-thai-again/423271293254

My comment on his FB:

Thanks Antonio for having done a tremendous work on spreading the word on Pradal Serey. I haven't researched the subject but only read what you had written on it and have learned a lot of facts from you. I've been your fan and continuing to follow your work. I am not at all upset by the truths you had put forth or hurt in any way by them. It's truewe khmers need to promote Pradal Serey instead of throwing blames in every direction; we have the tendency to do this, and it pains me and reflects badly upon us. I hope one day we veer from this tendency and focus purely on rebuilding ourselves and nation based on our history and cease the practicing of throwing blames.

Ricky Martin, was honored during the night for his philanthropic contributions through his foundation. After using his last acceptance speech to address political issues close to his heart, he dedicated this award to a young Cambodian girl infected with HIV that he met while working against human trafficking.

"Today, I speak on her behalf," he said. "This award is for her. This award, I'm going to take to Cambodia again. I'm going to give it to her."

http://socialitelife.celebuzz.com/archive/2010/06/04/ricky_martin_dedicates_award_to_little_girl_in_cambo dia_at_amfar_inspriation_awards.php

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's donors on Thursday pledged a record 1.1 billion dollars in financial assistance for 2010 amid warnings that the country needs to improve accountability and transparency.

Japan was again the largest donor, said Finance Minister Keat Chhon, who outlined the government's main focus areas.

'We have our priorities: roads, water, human resources, electricity,' Keat Chhon said. 'These are the top four priorities. We also need funding for legal reform.'

The two-day donor conference, which concluded Thursday, saw Cambodian officials, foreign donors and non-governmental groups gather to discuss the country's most pressing issues.

Last year, donors provided 951 million dollars, around half the government's budget, and, at the time, the largest sum given.

In recent weeks, media reports have revealed that millions of dollars of revenues from resource industries were not properly accounted for.

The World Bank on Thursday singled out as 'critical issues' the need to improve transparency and accountability in Cambodia's handling of public finances and natural resources.

Other complaints have revolved around the use of aid. Japanese Ambassador Masafumi Kuroki indicated his country would provide 130 million dollars, before adding that aid effectiveness could be improved.

'There is increased monitoring of aid between the government and partners, and I think we have to further promote this process of monitoring of aid,' he said. 'There is already a mechanism to do that, and we have to strengthen that mechanism.'

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the conference that good governance was 'the most important prerequisite for a sustainable and equitable economic development and social justice.'

'In the context of this vision, the royal government considers the fight against corruption as a top priority,' he said, citing a new anti-corruption law and an ongoing crackdown on illegal logging and fisheries as evidence of the government's commitment.

And he said agriculture was the top development priority for the country's mainly rural population because it could both bolster economic growth and ensure food security.

He also pledged to pay more attention to granting land concessions to the poor. Land concessions are a highly contentious subject with large investors in possession of more than 1 million hectares.

The conference was reminded by World Bank country head Annette Dixon that 4 million Cambodians - around one-third of the population - live in poverty while many more are on the margins.

Source: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1560496.php/Cambodia-s-donors-pledge-record-1-1-billion-dollars-for-development

Cambodia's highest court has upheld a ruling that a leading opposition figure defamed the prime minister.

Prime Minister Hun Sen had sued Mu Sochua for defamation after she accused him of making derogatory remarks about her.

The former women's minister has refused to pay the $4,000 (£2,725) fine and says she is willing to go to jail.

Mu Sochua, the current MP for Kampot, called the ruling "a travesty of justice".

She had no defence counsel in court as her lawyer quit the case and joined the governing party after Cambodia's bar council accused him of malpractice.

The courts dismissed her complaint and the national assembly voted to lift her parliamentary immunity from prosecution so the prime minister's case could go ahead.

The ruling came as Cambodia's international donors met government officials to discuss their aid pledges for the coming year.

Local human rights groups have described freedom of expression in Cambodia as in a "perilous state".

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10215597.stm

 Exhibited at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA, as part of the More than a Number Exhibit

Dog Bite Dog: A gruesome, gritty Chinese film revolves around Pang, a young Cambodian killer, who is hired to assassinate an old lady for reason that is not fully detailed. Pang is introduced as an orphan growing up in a slump, a landfill to be more specific. He fights anyone his size for money, so he is fully armed with necessary skills for daily survival on mean streets. Dog growling, hissing and barking soundtrack accompanies Pang whenever he is involved in a vicious fight and is referred to as "mad dog".

Pang takes a boat to Hong Kong, assassinates the old lady inside a restaurant and escapes into the city. Lost, Pang tries to find his way back to the boat or any boat that will take him back to Cambodia.

Police investigation ensues.

Sam, a rogue investigator, breaks rank and pursues Pang and is determined to bring justice to the community by any means necessary. Later, it is explained Sam is living in his father's, an admired hero to the investigating team, shadow; catching Pang will put his marred reputation on par with his dad.

Pang ends up in a landfill, a familiar environment, and meets a young girl living with her step-father in a shack; a friendship is struck and later she becomes his love interest, wife and mother of his child by the end of the movie.

Pang escapes to Cambodia with the young girl on a purloined boat.

Many years later, Sam catches up to Pang in the country side where he has been living and farming happily with the young girl who is now his wife and pregnant. Sam and Pang fight to the death on the ground of an ancient temple ruin.

The minor problems with this film: the main character Pang is well portrayed by Edison Chen, a Chinese playing a Cambodian killer. When Mr. Chen as Pang speaks Khmer, it doesn't sound Khmer and this problem meanders through the movie. When Pang is lost in Hong Kong and finding his way to the boat, he seems too familiar with the neighborhoods as if he is a resident of many years or had this type of assignment many times before and of course the streets seem emptied for filming whenever there's a gun fight. And when Pang is in a car, this man can drive; this is odd for a Cambodia orphan living in a landfill without any role model or an adult to guide him.

The movie is gritty and the fights are gruesome. The story is involving and evolving throughout, the audience is entertained and engrossed at the same time. 

Subsistence villagers in central Cambodia are preparing themselves for an increase in tourists who are curious to explore dozens of local temple ruins that pre-date Angkor Wat by up to 500 years.

With some international aid, the villagers have set up a small scale infrastructure of handicraft shop, information centre, restaurant, homestay accommodation and bicycle tours. Guided bicycle trips visit the nearby ruins that have been likened to a setting in an Indiana Jones movie.

The German government through GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) has helped villagers with physical preparation. Khiri Reach, the not-for-profit arm of Khiri Travel, is now promoting Sambor Prei Kuk, formerly known as Isanapura, the capital of a pre-Angkorian Khmer kingdom. 

“Our aim is to bring more people to the Sambor Prei Kuk area and extend their stay to at least one overnight,” said Willem Niemeijer, CEO and co-founder of Khiri Travel. “The area is suitable for adventurous travelers who enjoy low-key pleasures such as forest hikes, exploration by bicycle, ox cart rides, homestays and buying locally made silk, rattan and bamboo handicrafts.”

GTZ has helped with guide training, educating locals to preserve their heritage and building a basic restaurant plus information centre and toilets for tourists.

When GTZ started work in the area there were approximately 1,200 visitors per year. There are now around 8,000, but few stay overnight.

The temples are in an impoverished area of Kampong Thom province, halfway between Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Most visitors pass through without stopping. That may soon change.

“Sambor Prei Kuk is at the centre of a plan to promote attractions throughout Kampong Thom province,” said Peter Bolster, program director, Private Sector Promotion, GTZ-PSP. “The provincial government has agreed to the plan which is now under consideration at the highest level of government in Phnom Penh,” he said.

Niemeijer said that inspecting the ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk can be combined with visits to other community based attractions in the province. These include Santuk Mountain, the holiest in the region, Tonle Sap protected area and bird sanctuary, the Santuk Silk Farm and an inspection of villages specialized in stone carving and making rice noodles.

Since 2005 GTZ has worked with the Sambor Prei Kuk Conservation Project to establish craft training courses for seven villages in the area. Community funds now go towards temple conservation, supporting home businesses, maintaining signage, and the upkeep of the craft hut and information centre.