A really simple reflection this week. Ingrid and I met up with Simon and Neang, who run a pop-up restaurant business called Khmer Kitchen. We first met a month ago at Frome Independent Market, and this week the pair were running a pop-up at Castle Carey. Simon has a London-based talent business, and is a filmmaker. Neang is originally from Cambodia, and they now live in Somerset.
We had some excellent dumplings, washed down with spicy rum smoothies.
I was talking with Simon, explaining the Cambodia project. He made these points, which I paraphrase.
- Beware, this is an old story (the Genocide), as even last year a very good new film was made.
- Hardly surprising that young, Cambodian filmmakers and photographers want to do stuff that has legs in today’s society.
- Yet they also know enough to ‘keep their heads’ down in the current political environment.
- There is a story here, but it’s personal, about Sarath. As a filmmaker, that is where Simon would firmly focus.
Stepping back, getting outside views on the project and how I pursue it is invaluable. I need to do this more often.