RothaFilm
The rubber tappers
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My related Films
Rotha Moeng, a Franco-Cambodian artist, is a director, a producer, co-producer, and a gallery owner who divides his time between Paris and Phnom Penh. While completing his directorial debut in Ratanakiri province, 3 films he co-produced were released in Europe : "Golden dragon" by Boren Chhith, "The Sound of the Night," directed by Chanrado Sok and Kong Kea Vann, competed at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, while "White Building," a feature film by Kavich Neang, earned Piseth Chhun the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Rotha Moeng's life is a testament to Cambodia's ongoing resurgence since the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. As a child under Pol Pot's dictatorship, he lacked access to art, music, cinema, and songs until his family sought refuge in Thailand. It was in a refugee camp where he experienced his first film, "Poah Keng Kang," sparking an enduring sense of wonder.
As a refugee in France, first in Le Havre and then in the Paris region, Rotha Moeng kept Cambodia alive within him through traditional festivals, cuisine, the Khmer language, and karaoke nights singing Sin Sisamuth's melodies. In the early 2000s, as security improved and Cambodia embraced tourism, Rotha Moeng made his first return to his homeland, known as "srok." This journey inspired him to share his childhood in Cambodia, the refugee camps in Thailand, and his settlement in France, forming the foundation for his novel, "Le chœur des enfants khmers" (Seuil, 2008).
Upon his return, Rotha Moeng enrolled at the Cours Florent acting school, where he acted alongside Omar Sy and participated in a documentary about Cambodian artists exiled in France. In the 2010s, his artistic endeavors flourished. He collaborated with Régis Warnier on the film "Le temps des aveux," shot entirely in Cambodia and inspired by François Bizot's "Le Portail." In the film, Rotha Moeng portrayed the defense lawyer for a Khmer Rouge executioner. He also engaged in the production of "L'histoire terrible mais inachevée de Norodom es Sihanouk, roi du Cambodge," performed in the Khmer language at Théâtre du Soleil, where Ariane Mnouchkine and Hélène Cixous first staged the play in 1985. Concurrently, he established an art gallery in Battambang, promoting young Cambodian artists like Pen Robit, Kolab Koeurn, Poy Chhunly and Khvay Samnang in Europe and the United States.
As Cambodia undergoes profound changes, Phnom Penh becomes reminiscent of other bustling Asian metropolises. The rampant real estate frenzy and unchecked capitalism fracture Cambodian society, leaving the marginalized as casualties of this rapid development. Artists, including Rotha Moeng, strive to capture and reflect these transformations. Thus, he chose to produce the short film "The Sound of the Night," which follows the story of Vibol and Kea, two brothers who sell noodle soup from a motorized cart while signaling their presence to customers by tapping on a bamboo stick. Both face violence and poverty, making distinct choices to escape their predetermined fates. Alongside Davy Chou, Rotha Moeng co-produced "White Building" by Kavick NEANG And “Golden Dragon”, by Boren CHHITTH.
After his initial experiences in production, Rotha Moeng takes a significant step by directing his first short film, "Les saigneurs” or “The rubber tappers”, in 2023.
