Please support Cambodian Son film--donation period ends tomorrow!
Hi beautiful peoples,
Do you all know your Asian American spoken word poetry history? Many people don't. Let me briefly tell you about a group called I Was Born With Two Tongues. Listen to me carefully: THERE WOULD BE NO YELLOW RAGE IF NOT FOR I WAS BORN WITH TWO TONGUES. 2 Tongues inspired me as an Asian American and--most importantly--as an Asian American woman. I first wrote "I'm a Woman, Not a Flava" b/c I was inspired by Anida and Emily's collabo poem "Not Your Fetish." Dear beautiful people, you need to research 2 Tongues. Find their only album, titled Broken Speak. You too will be inspired.
I'm telling you this b/c Anida, one of the members of 2 Tongues, contacted me recently b/c she is working on a film project with her husband in Cambodia and they are in desperate need of donations. This is how much she believes in this project: she and her husband have put their life savings into it. They foreclosed on their condo. They have sold practically everything they own to fund this project. That is how much they believe in the power of its message.
The film is called Cambodian Son. Cambodian Son captures the inspirational story of Kosal Khiev’s journey from prisoner in America to world-class poet in Cambodia. The documentary follows Kosal’s life after receiving the most important performance invitation of his career—to represent the Kingdom of Cambodia at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Kosal would travel to London having only taken two flights prior; first, as a 1-year-old refugee child whose family fled Cambodia and, then as a 32-year-old criminal “alien” forcibly returned to Cambodia in 2011. This documentary follows a volatile yet charming and talented young man who struggles to find his footing amongst a new freedom that was granted only through his deportation.
Kosal’s London representation is a triumphant moment for many people in his life, both in America and Cambodia. The film traces the impact and significance of this moment for Kosal, his friends, family, mentors and a growing international fan base. Armed only with memorized verses, he must face the challenges of being a deportee while navigating his new fame as Phnom Penh’s premiere poet. As the pressure to perform and represent builds, Kosal begins to deteriorate. A dramatic series of events nearly prohibits him from ever stepping onto the London stage. From teaching literacy at a Cambodian dumpsite to performing at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Kosal soon realizes with his new freedom comes great responsibility. After the performances end and the London stage becomes a faint memory, Kosal is once again left alone to answer the central question in his life: “How do you survive when you belong nowhere?”
And the final development of this journey seems to have made itself known just two days ago -- Kosal found his long-lost father in France through Facebook. His half sister, whom he had never known, contacted him out of the blue.
The funds that Anida and husband need would allow them to film the reunion between Kosal and his father.
Please visit the website link--even if you don't donate, just going to the site and clicking around helps the project: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cambodian-son
Below is the extended trailer. Please watch:
Please, please donate if you can.
Love,
Michelle
Do you all know your Asian American spoken word poetry history? Many people don't. Let me briefly tell you about a group called I Was Born With Two Tongues. Listen to me carefully: THERE WOULD BE NO YELLOW RAGE IF NOT FOR I WAS BORN WITH TWO TONGUES. 2 Tongues inspired me as an Asian American and--most importantly--as an Asian American woman. I first wrote "I'm a Woman, Not a Flava" b/c I was inspired by Anida and Emily's collabo poem "Not Your Fetish." Dear beautiful people, you need to research 2 Tongues. Find their only album, titled Broken Speak. You too will be inspired.
I'm telling you this b/c Anida, one of the members of 2 Tongues, contacted me recently b/c she is working on a film project with her husband in Cambodia and they are in desperate need of donations. This is how much she believes in this project: she and her husband have put their life savings into it. They foreclosed on their condo. They have sold practically everything they own to fund this project. That is how much they believe in the power of its message.
The film is called Cambodian Son. Cambodian Son captures the inspirational story of Kosal Khiev’s journey from prisoner in America to world-class poet in Cambodia. The documentary follows Kosal’s life after receiving the most important performance invitation of his career—to represent the Kingdom of Cambodia at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Kosal would travel to London having only taken two flights prior; first, as a 1-year-old refugee child whose family fled Cambodia and, then as a 32-year-old criminal “alien” forcibly returned to Cambodia in 2011. This documentary follows a volatile yet charming and talented young man who struggles to find his footing amongst a new freedom that was granted only through his deportation.
Kosal’s London representation is a triumphant moment for many people in his life, both in America and Cambodia. The film traces the impact and significance of this moment for Kosal, his friends, family, mentors and a growing international fan base. Armed only with memorized verses, he must face the challenges of being a deportee while navigating his new fame as Phnom Penh’s premiere poet. As the pressure to perform and represent builds, Kosal begins to deteriorate. A dramatic series of events nearly prohibits him from ever stepping onto the London stage. From teaching literacy at a Cambodian dumpsite to performing at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Kosal soon realizes with his new freedom comes great responsibility. After the performances end and the London stage becomes a faint memory, Kosal is once again left alone to answer the central question in his life: “How do you survive when you belong nowhere?”
And the final development of this journey seems to have made itself known just two days ago -- Kosal found his long-lost father in France through Facebook. His half sister, whom he had never known, contacted him out of the blue.
The funds that Anida and husband need would allow them to film the reunion between Kosal and his father.
Please visit the website link--even if you don't donate, just going to the site and clicking around helps the project: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cambodian-son
Below is the extended trailer. Please watch:
Please, please donate if you can.
Love,
Michelle
posted by Yellow Rage at
5/23/2013 03:50:00 PM
<< Home