Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
Encyclopedia
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a 2008 documentary film
that follows several street and dumpster children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
, on their journey to receive an education. The film was written, directed, and produced by Heather Connell
.
The documentary was awarded the 2009 Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards and 2nd place Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival
in 2008.
perpetrated genocide
upon their own people. Attempting to create a classless society, they killed nearly 1.7 million people, primarily the adult, educated and artistic population. Today, the children born to the uneducated, poverty-stricken survivors face a bleak future. With the farming lands in the countryside decimated and little opportunity in the cities, thousands of children are struggling to survive.
Abandoned by destitute family members, or forced to work in order to support themselves and relatives, these children are left vulnerable and exposed. On the streets of the capital city of Phnom Penh
, there are over 12,000 children living, begging and working. Through their eyes, their day-to-day heartbreaks, dangers and hopes come to life.
After Saigonell, the Khmer Rouge
took over Cambodia
and killed 1.7 Million people in a former high school also known as S21
that also included rape, torture and a living hell. Now, you have children living in poverty near waste dumps going through the trash to find something to survive, to sell for money and getting sick and worse in the process.
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a heart-warming film by Heather E. Connell
, who spent several years documenting the struggles of the garbage dump children of Cambodia. She brings the film to life through the sights and sounds of Phnom Penh
and gives the film its soul through the voices of these children as they share stories of their lives and their dreams for the future. They are the first generation of children born to survivors of the Khmer Rouge and have learned to survive in an economy and society struggling to rebuild itself.
founded the Safe Haven School, a non-profit educational and therapeutic outreach program for disabled children in Siem Riep, Cambodia. Safe Haven's mission is to provide a safe environment for children with disabilities, allowing them the opportunity to have access to the educational and therapeutic resources that they need in order to reach their full potential and their highest level of personal independence.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that follows several street and dumpster children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, on their journey to receive an education. The film was written, directed, and produced by Heather Connell
Heather Connell
Heather E. Connell is an American film director. She is best known for directing the feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children .-Early life and education:Heather Connell was born and raised in Massachusetts...
.
The documentary was awarded the 2009 Gold Medal Award at the New York International Film and Video Awards and 2nd place Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival
Rhode Island International Film Festival
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit...
in 2008.
Synopsis
Thirty years ago, the Khmer RougeKhmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
perpetrated genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
upon their own people. Attempting to create a classless society, they killed nearly 1.7 million people, primarily the adult, educated and artistic population. Today, the children born to the uneducated, poverty-stricken survivors face a bleak future. With the farming lands in the countryside decimated and little opportunity in the cities, thousands of children are struggling to survive.
Abandoned by destitute family members, or forced to work in order to support themselves and relatives, these children are left vulnerable and exposed. On the streets of the capital city of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, there are over 12,000 children living, begging and working. Through their eyes, their day-to-day heartbreaks, dangers and hopes come to life.
After Saigonell, the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
took over Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and killed 1.7 Million people in a former high school also known as S21
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 by the Khmer Rouge communist regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979...
that also included rape, torture and a living hell. Now, you have children living in poverty near waste dumps going through the trash to find something to survive, to sell for money and getting sick and worse in the process.
Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children is a heart-warming film by Heather E. Connell
Heather Connell
Heather E. Connell is an American film director. She is best known for directing the feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children .-Early life and education:Heather Connell was born and raised in Massachusetts...
, who spent several years documenting the struggles of the garbage dump children of Cambodia. She brings the film to life through the sights and sounds of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
and gives the film its soul through the voices of these children as they share stories of their lives and their dreams for the future. They are the first generation of children born to survivors of the Khmer Rouge and have learned to survive in an economy and society struggling to rebuild itself.
Aftermath
Inspired by Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children, director of the film Heather ConnellHeather Connell
Heather E. Connell is an American film director. She is best known for directing the feature documentary Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children .-Early life and education:Heather Connell was born and raised in Massachusetts...
founded the Safe Haven School, a non-profit educational and therapeutic outreach program for disabled children in Siem Riep, Cambodia. Safe Haven's mission is to provide a safe environment for children with disabilities, allowing them the opportunity to have access to the educational and therapeutic resources that they need in order to reach their full potential and their highest level of personal independence.
Awards and festivals
- 2009 New York International Film and Video Awards - Gold Medal Award
- 2009 Big Muddy Film Festival
- 2008 New Orleans Film FestivalNew Orleans Film FestivalThe New Orleans Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the nonprofit organization New Orleans Film Society, a film society founded in 1989. The festival has been held since the society's inception. The festival takes place in mid-October. The festival, nicknamed "Cannes on the...
- 2008 Rhode Island International Film FestivalRhode Island International Film FestivalFlickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit...
- 2nd Place Best Documentary
External links
- Official Website
- Production Company's Website
- Distributor's Website
- Safe Haven's Website
- Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children on Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...