Les Artistes du Théâtre Brûlé

Although the Khmer Rouge systematically eradicated Cambodian culture, the National Theater in Phnom Penh remained intact, probably because they needed a venue for their propagandistic meetings. The destruction didn't come until 1994, when the theater burned down, ironically during construction to restore it. In this film, Rithy Panh uses the ruins of the theater as a backdrop for his tribute to the extinct national theater tradition and a plea to give the arts a prominent place in the national consciousness, especially because they can help the country reconcile itself with its traumatic past. Many actors were murdered by the regime, and Panh invites young actors to share their memories of them in interviews, which are interspersed with rehearsals for an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac. Meanwhile, they also must make a living, performing in nightclubs and karaoke videos. The dictatorship is gone, but nowadays poverty is a very real threat for many Cambodians. Nearby, we hear the constant sound of pile drivers as a casino and hotel resort appear out of nowhere, monuments to the new capitalist ideology that is determining the country's political direction. The contrast to the collapsed theater makes it painfully evident where the priorities lie. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)