FCC Angkor by Avani presents a photo exhibition entitled “Cambodia: War and Beauty” by award winning documentary filmmaker, Dr. David A. Feingold. The exhibition draws on Feingold’s rich experience documenting Cambodia’s history through the lens of culture, politics and war. Divided into four themes covering war, culture, transition to pace and the impact of landmines, visitors will have a chance to experience the contrasts, continuities, and changes in Cambodia over the span of 30 years, as experienced by Feingold.
Feingold first visited Cambodia as an undergraduate in 1961 and returned in 1964, prior to the start of the civil war. This visit resulted in his ongoing interest in Cambodia. In 1986, after two-decades, he returned to Cambodia to conduct field research and film in the refugee camps along the Thai border.
The exhibit includes singular images taken both inside the Site 2 refugee camp, revealing the resilience of the Cambodian people and their determination to overcome the repression under the Khmer Rouge regime, and in Khmer Rouge controlled camps in the mid 1980’s. There are also unique images of Khmer Rouge troops in the jungle. The exhibition also concentrates on Khmer dance. It is through these achingly beautiful images that Feingold vividly shows how Khmer dance became not only a form of struggle against the repression of political regimes, but also an essential ingredient in the survival of Khmer Culture.
