The film was co-produced by local filmmaker Sok Visal and directed by American Jake Wachtel. The cast and additional crew are all Cambodian.
The film was shot entirely in Cambodia, with a Khmer cast and crew. In addition to the regular format, the movie also features augmented reality and state-of-the-art visual effects.
The story tells the tale of an ordinary Cambodian teenager, Leng Heng, 13, whose family is facing eviction from his home in the Tralok Bek area of Phnom Penh because the land is needed for development.
The screen fades to show a thief stealing a golden Buddha statuette and burying it in a field after being confronted by a monk. Heng awakens from this dream, eventually seeking the treasure he believes he stole, hid and discovered over multiple past lives.
Heng enlists the help of street-smart girl Srey Leak to go on a quest to find the statue. The two teenagers believe it will help save Heng’s home.
As part of the search for the statue, the teenagers and their friends dabble in neuroscience, using augmented reality and other digital applications.
In doing so, the teenagers discover a link between Heng and a genius Cambodian neuroscientist named Vattanak. Is Heng the reincarnation of Vattanak?
The movie was the opening film for the 36th Venice International Film Critics’ Week in 2021 and played in festivals all over the world and won several top awards.
According to phnompenhpost.com
