In the Life of Music

Caylee So and Sok Visal achieved an incredible task of depicting a romanticized view of Cambodia pre-war, while still breaking our hearts with the dark history of the Khmer Rouge regime. The performances were endearing and heartfelt and the Sinn Sisamouth track repeating all throughout the film just tugged at my heartstrings! Great job to everyone who worked on this project! Thank you so much for telling a beautiful Cambodian love story.

"IN THE LIFE IS MUSIC" is one the best film I've ever seen. Anything from acting, directing, and costuming are on point. The cinematographer is outstanding. My most favorite part is music. Listening to Cambodian music made me laugh and cry at the same times. The acting was authentic especially the lead actress Ellen Wong Played HOPE. By watching this film. I've learned so much about Cambodia. Caylee So and Sok Visal are very talented directors. They brought everything to life. I would recommended everyone to watch this film. I definitely want to see it again.

As a second-generation Cambodian-American, "In the Life of Music" struck a chord with me. No pun intended. Great feature films made by ethnic minorities are a rare treat. A feature film made by a Cambodian-American is even rarer, and I savored every moment of it.

I was particularly struck with Ellen Wong's performance as a Cambodian-American trying to gather up pieces of her family's history despite the English-Khmer language barrier between her and the older generation. It's an issue I identify with in my own life since many older Cambodians refugees struggle with English due to a combination of immigrating at an older age, severe trauma and hardship from war, lack of financial resources, and access to education. A lot of second-generation Cambodian-Americans, like myself, have difficulty communicating with the older generation because our Khmer language skills diminish due to overworked parents trying to make ends meet don't have much personal time for family, and/or formal language classes in Khmer aren't really available in our communities.

What ends up happening is a huge language and cultural gap between 1st generation and 2nd generation Cambodian-Americans. 1st Generation Cambodian-Americans have trouble speaking about their past history and experiences either because of language difficulty or the experience was too painful to talk about. 2nd Generation Cambodian-Americans have trouble asking and learning/understanding about those experiences.

This film, "In the Life of Music" tries to create a cultural bridge between the two generations who have trouble understanding one another through the shared experience of music. And I think the film does a great job at it since 1960s Cambodian pop music was one of the few things the older generation had and held onto in America. And it's also one of the few things 2nd Gen Cambodian-Americans can use to relate to our parents since it's often part of our childhood experience at family events or restaurants. The only other thing that remotely comes close to it would maybe be ...the Southern California donut.

It was a beautifully made movie that warms the heart and brings tears trickling down... loved it! Thank you for making the movies that shows the power of music!

The miracle of this film that Caylee So and Sok Vishal brought into timeless existence, is that it breaths not only life into one of the darkest experiences of humanity - but exhales love. It draws on the creative prowess of young Cambodian actors, blends seamlessly a story told in both English and Khemer, and reverberates with hope that love, like music endures... I feel the partnership of Caylee and Sok who brought such breathtaking performances from the children actors in the film, with their talented crew of editor, cowriter, sound and cinemagraphic artists, in partnership with producers and the heart and soul of the Cambodian community in America, and those in Cambodia who made this film happen - achieved a beautiful miracle. This is a priceless addition to the film record of the contribution to our human family by Cambodia and Cambodians.