Light + Sound Machine, along with the Belcourt Theatre and Third Man Records, present...
(Preview prior to the Belcourt’s regular engagement in June)
d. John Pirozzi / USA / 2015 / HD
40 years ago, The Khmer Rouge entered the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh and removed all the blossoms from its tree-lined streets. The Cambodia of the 1950's and 60's was brimming with artists and musicians, and traditional Khmer themes were being placed into the Western contexts of rock & roll and go-go, discotheques and crooning heartthrobs, record stores and clubs. Phnom Penh looked similar to any Western city of that time, political unrest giving birth to counter culture, where we all know the good stuff really gets good. Don't Think I've Forgotten is John Pirozzi's keenly told story of the doomed fate of the youth and the youth culture of Phnom Penh and Cambodian culture at large, a fate transformed by bombs and brutality. Between its credits lay a generation of artists who deserve more days and whose songs deserve a larger audience.
The severity of the Cambodian government under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rogue makes free and open expression in the 50s and 60s so much more valuable and significant. In a xenophobic effort to transform the increasingly modern and intellectual Cambodian social landscape into an agrarian society of feudalist farmers, the Khmer Rouge suppressed anything that could possibly distract from the “noble pursuit” of farm life. Frighteningly, this meant art, spirituality, religion and higher education were all outlawed and punishable by death. Over 1/3 of the Cambodian population were killed under the leadership of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. By studying the rich creations of the culture before one of the most oppressive governments of the 20th century, we are able to connect with and honor the helpless victims of war. It is not possible to overstate its importance.
The Belcourt Theatre and Third Man Records are pleased to bring you a preview screening of this stirring documentary before its June opening at the Belcourt.
Tickets are available for $10 via thirdmanstore.com or $8 for Belcourt members at belcourt.org. If you haven't already, donate to the Belcourt Theatre as part of The Big Payback today!
http://thirdmanrecords.com/more/light-and-sound-machine/
