In the Life of Music, directed by Caylee So and Visal Sok, is a prodigious and refreshing departure from the typical linear narrative structure that has been commonly used to tell the story of the Cambodian genocide where an estimated two million Cambodian people died from murder, starvation, and forced labor. With its non-linear storytelling and stunning cinematography, the film features the story of a Cambodian family before, during, and after the war. It highlights the inter-generational connection of pre-genocide Cambodian pop music with issues of war, resilience, displacement, and diaspora. Expelling the linear framework that dominates the majority of Cambodian memory work, In the Life of Music weaves the songs of Cambodian pop icon Sinn Sisamouth with the tragic history and complications of three generations of Cambodian experience. The comedic characters and thoughtful cinematography differentiate between three distinct time periods that are inter-woven in the film (years 1968, 1976, 2007).
This film forces the audience to consider different generations and perspectives, rather than focusing on the development and narrative of a single character. Recalling the Khmer Rouge's strict control of cultural practice, the film effectively explores the effect and politics of Democratic Kampuchea (DK) through manipulation of music, allowing the viewer to consider the evolution of a song's meaning through time.
The filmmakers' thematic projections of labor in the film explore the complex beauty, depravity, the hardship of a country deeply scarred by war. Under the Khmer Rouge Regime, hundreds of thousands of Cambodians were removed from their homes, separated from their families, stripped of their individuality, and forced into labor camps. Merciless violence and excruciating manual labor would be used by the DK as a way to destroy and control Cambodian society, which previously used community-based labor to build connection through tradition and entertainment-showing appreciation and love for one another. In the Life of Music is chock-full of subtle, yet deeply moving points of analysis for Cambodians and those that know the history of the Cambodian Genocide. This film is tailor-made for the Cambodian diasporic community yet is so well made that those who are learning about this history for the first time are able to learn and understand the film's intentions. The wonderfully constructed music and sound of the film provide an immersive experience for all audiences. This film serves as a wonderfully creative and necessary exploration into a history forgotten by the world.
--Tiffany Lytle
(M.A. UCLA Asian American Studies)
