'No Escape' banned in Cambodia

"No Escape," an action movie scheduled for release on Aug. 26, has been banned in Cambodia.

The film is apparently set in Malaysia, but was filmed in Thailand and uses props with Khmer letters. The trailer includes scenes of police carrying riot shields painted with Khmer letters, however the letters (or the shields) are upside down. This is the stated reason the Cambodian government decided to ban the movie.

A reasonable person might suspect the ban has more to do with the reported plot, which involves a family of foreigners caught up in a coup that lets loose bloodthirsty mobs. The trailer might remind some people of events in 1997.

Khmerica's favorite actor

"21 and Over," the latest film featuring Cambodian-American actor François Chau, opens today in the United States (and on various other days throughout the world.)

While taking a break from playing a stereotypically strict Asian-American father and a mad scientist, Chau talked with me about his career and his background:



Drink — and watch — responsibly.

Breakfast at Psar Kap Koh

I love this music video, not least because I used to live a few blocks from the housing projects featured in the video. I also regularly ate at the Psar Kap Koh Restaurant (about 1:55), which apparently is a favorite of songwriter and guitarist Christopher Minko.

Psar Kap Koh more or less translates to Market of the Butchered Cow. It was tasty.

You can find Krom's album, "Songs from the Noir," on Amazon.

Interviewing François Chau

What do you ask the man who has been in everything?

Not sure where you remember him from? Watch these episodes.

Building the Rice Field of Dreams

I talked to Daron Ker, the director of "Rice Fields of Dreams" and "I Ride" for Khmerican.com.

The story of Joe Cook (or Joeurt Puk) is both uplifting on the face of it and more messy when you dig in. This is much the case for every story that involves Cambodia.

Still, I'm looking forward to this film. It took a lot of effort — from the players, the volunteer coaches, the sponsors, everyone — to go as far as they did. They deserve the recognition.


RICE FIELD OF DREAMS-TEASER from DARON KER on Vimeo.

Creating "The Golden Voice"

I got to interview Greg Cahill, director of "The Golden Voice" and "Two Shadows" while he was in Phnom Penh. Unfortunately it was via Skype as I'm stuck in Oregon.



Sophea Pel's and Greg Cahill's re-creation of the song "Chaul Chnam Thmey" for "The Golden Voice" is positively dripping with atmosphere and tension. It manages to faithfully follow the song and yet add so much.



I'm really looking forward to seeing these two feature-length films when they are released.