Director Marlin Darrah's first dramatic feature examines the world of Cambodia's sex trade through the eyes of American expatriates, foreign tourists and the Cambodian people. The film was produced on a shoestring budget on location in Cambodia, but has a rich quality that suggests a bigger budget.
The story begins in the capital of Phnom Penh and focuses on two couples: an American expat and his Cambodian girlfriend, and a visiting American couple who share a history with the expat.
The film takes us on a journey through the decaying colonial grandeur of the capital, with its riverside hotels and neon brothels, and into the countryside for a climatic scene at the Buddhist ruin Angkor Wat. Several of the actors turn in memorable performances as expectations are revealed and behaviors alter away from home.
It's a modern look at "The World of Susie Wong," where every thing seems to be for sale, including your soul.
Plot summary
Retreating to Cambodia after a failed relationship, American Thomas McIntrye becomes immersed in Cambodia's dangerous and pervasive sex trade. There he falls in love with a woman who helps him to regain his dignity.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
October 02, 2023 at 03:44 AM
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Well-told Story Set in SE Asia's World of the Sex Trade
Independent filmmaking at it's gritty best
An exceptional movie. Independent film-making at its finest. I just watched this movie at a film festival - a very eye-opening drama on the horrors of poverty-based child prostitution in Asia. And it looks like it's been filmed entirely on location in amazing Cambodia.
This is not a Hollywood kind of movie. It's a bold and original indie movie with talented directing and actors. Weaving throughout the movie is a story of lost love and a new love, one that overrides cultural barriers. I was left with an odd mix of emotions. On the one hand, joy from witnessing love manifest in a very special type of fulfillment, and on the other, a question arises from within, 'What can we do?' about the devastating effects of child prostitution.
It takes real intestinal fortitude to not only be willing to look in places that are extremely hard to delve into, but to also present close friends as being perpetrators. I especially commend the director's, the cast and the writer's abilities to present the impact of this tragedy not only on the lives of the children, but the devastating emptiness that engulfs the perpetrators as well.
You have my highest regard for your noble venture. I recommend this movie to all.