October 15, 2007
The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 2: Can Cultural Identity go private?
John Vink
It seems there is not a day when something of Cambodia's past is up for grabs and available to the one with the highest bid. Lately, the land owned by the government on which was built the Suramarit theater was sold for an undisclosed amount and for an undisclosed period of time as a concession to a private company who doesn't seem to have precise plans. It is difficult to be less transparent with public property...
Cambodia. Phnom Penh. 25/06/2007: The Suramarit Theatre. © John Vink/Magnum Photos
In Cambodia one often knows what he'll lose but not what he'll get in return. And here the loss is considerable. The theatre is one of architect Vann Molyvann's highest achievements. In the so-called "Golden Era" of the 60's the Cambodian architect has dotted the landscape of his capital Phnom Penh with landmarks of international standards like the School of Foreign Languages, Chaktomuk conference hall or the Olympic stadium. During the 80's the theatre was a point of convergence for the artists scattered by the Khmer Rouge regime. This was the place where one could assess who was left alive among the heirs of centuries old culture. Cambodian film director Rithy Panh has used the theatre as a pivotal point for his film "Le Theatre Brule" which precisely and quite humorously checks where exactly Cambodia stands today on a cultural level.
During its rehabilitation in 1994 the theatre was gutted by a fire and left crippled until today. Crippled but still alive. Some 300 artists, traditional dancers, members of the Royal Ballet, kept using the place for rehearsals, working under collapsing roofs or in the nearby exhibition grounds.
Cambodia. Phnom Penh. 2/07/2007: SANG Phordsa, classical Khmer dancer, rehearsing with VATCHHAN Moly, at the temporary rehearsal site at the Kite Museum, near the soon to be destroyed Suramarit Theatre. © John Vink/Magnum Photos
They will be moved to a new facility, cheaply built behind a fashionable private nightclub (formerly the National Circus). In a country where reconstruction is in full swing after more than 30 years of war (10,5% growth in 2006), the focus is on infrastructure. But somehow, despite constantly referring to its glorious Angkorian past, it seems financing cultural infrastructure is not a priority for the government. The Fine Arts School grounds near the old Olympic Stadium, the cradle of new talent, was sold to a company who built shabby facilities for the students in poorly accessible suburbs and built housing and a shopping mall where the finest classical dancers and musicians were once trained.
In an ultraliberal economic surrounding, the incredible cultural diversity of Cambodia today can only survive through private funding. It's not that private funding or grants can't maintain high standards, like with the Khmer Arts Academy who is touring the US with an adaptation in classical khmer dance of Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte". And luckily the commitment of the artists of the Royal Ballet themselves and the respect they show for their heritage prevents a further erosion of excellence. But the problem is that a total privatisation of culture can threaten the identity itself of a country, blurring the limits as to what is acceptable or not, as to what can be funded by whom, as to what is perceived as authentic Khmer by the general public. Allowing a Japanese company to run the ticketing of Chhoeung Ek, Phnom Penh's "Killing Fields" where over 10000 people interrogated at Tuol Sleng prison by the Khmer Rouge were massacred, in exchange for the exploitation of some land nearby does send out a weird message, doesn't it?
Cambodia. Chhoeung Ek (Phnom Penh). 4/09/2005: A memorial to the victims was built at the site where over 15000 people were killed after having been interrogated at S21 prison by the Khmer Rouge. After some 30 years, bones still appear on the surface. Recently a development project was signed between the government and a Japanese company which would privatise the management of the site and turn the surrounding area into a tourist zone. © John Vink/Magnum Photos
That a government lets outsiders finance its culture is one thing, risky enough, but that a price tag is added to its most painful recent history goes beyond risk taking. That is irresponsible.
Links:
» The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 1: UNICEF in Cambodia
» John Vink's website
» John Vink's Magnum portfolio
» John Vink's Magnum In Motion story "Terre Rouge"
» John Vink's feature: Cambodia. 2000 - 2002. The Quest for Land
Published on the Magnum Blog on October 15, 2007
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