[SOLD OUT] RCB Film Club: In The Life of Music

Directed by Caylee So, Sok Visal

Subtitles: English

Running time: 1 Hr 32 Mins.

Venue: RCB Forum, 2nd floor, River City Bangkok

Date: Saturday 6 November 2021 at 4 p.m.

Our much-postponed second film of 2021, is a moving and memorable tale from Cambodia-‘In the Life of Music.’ 

It’s a film that connects the social, political, cultural history of the country, through its most famous song Champa Battambang, written by Sinn Sisamouth, often called the King of Khmer Music.

The song connects three segments of the film, which portray the lives of three generations of Cambodians, and through them, explores the country’s tumultuous genocidal history. 

The film opens with a young Cambodian-American girl, Hope (played by the talented Cambodian-Canadian actress Ellen Wong), who re-connects with her homeland for the very first time since her birth. Her views and reactions as she moves around the city and countryside, are the typical expat’s responses, and in many ways are reflective of the film-director Caylee So’s life and thoughts. Like Hope’s mother, Caylee So was a refugee-child who escaped to the US after the Khmer Rouge regime. She went to film-school in America, and returned to her homeland many years later. She made this film, together with co-director Sok Visal.

The second part of the film traces the love story of Hope’s parents: how they met, fell in love, had their first dance to the tune of Champa Battambang.

The third story deals with the Khmer Rouge era, where Hope’s parents were entrapped, like millions of other Cambodians, under the grip of a genocidal regime. Amongst many characters, the young child-soldier, is striking.

 It is when Hope finally meets her mother’s best friend, picks up the guitar, and sings the famous song, that she finally feels the full weight of this circular story, and her own place in it. 

To quote Director Caylee So “Music is the universal language that crosses barriers, time, and can re-connect us.”  

In the Life of Music won awards and accolades in Asia, Europe, US, and was the country’s Oscar-submission in 2019.

What the Critics said:

Hollywood Reporter: ‘In the Life of Music tells the before, during, and after, stories of a love- affair, set in 1968, 1976 and 2007. The stories are connected by Cambodia’s most famous song Champa Battambang.’

Film Threat: ‘A startling indie masterpiece!’

Asia Movie Pulse: ‘What makes In the Life of Music such a satisfying experience to watch, is due to the understanding and depiction of Music as a key element to what makes us human,our struggles,and our moments of happiness.’

We thank the Embassy of Cambodia for supporting the film event.

The Ambassador of Cambodia, H.E Ouk Sorphorn will introduce the film.

Tickets are available at https://www.ticketmelon.com/rivercitybangkok/rcbfilmcambodia

Covid Instructions:

*All covid instructions will be strictly followed.

*Masks are necessary throughout the film-screening.

*Hand sanitiser will be provided at the entrance.

* Vaccinations are encouraged.

*If you feel unwell, please do not attend the screening.

*If anyone tests positive to covid, after attending the film-screening, please kindly inform RCB immediately, as this concerns the safety of the whole auditorium.

* Due to social distancing, the seating is very limited, and is only falf-capacity.*

*River City Bangkok is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with strict preventive measures against Covid-19 and limitation of visitors inside RCB Forum.