In March 2008 I was generously funded to travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to help set up a project to record the stories of older Cambodian classical dancers who had had major careers with the Royal Cambodian Ballet in the decades before the infamous regime of Pol Pot. They had survived that regime, and were now passing on their knowledge to younger dancers.
The photos published here were taken during that week in Phnom Penh. They record the process of filming an interview with one of those dancers, Em Theay, a vibrant and dynamic woman in her seventies. Em Theay was interviewed by Hun Pen in the early morning of 22 March 2008 outside the National Museum. Em Theay’s generosity in sharing her knowledge and her passion for her art form shine through every photograph.
Filming Em Theay, Phnom Penh, March 2008. All photographs by Michelle Potter (taken with permission)
Michelle Potter, 1 June 2009
Featured image: Em Theay and camera crew, Phnom Penh, March 2008