Soul River

(Short Film – Hanuman Films – 16min – 2019)

---

Soul River is a powerful story set a decade in the future in 2030 in a remote northeast region of Cambodia that highlights the impact of climate change on the Mekong basin. Framed as a lighthearted road (or river) movie, it challenges the audience to consider their attitudes toward environmental degradation. The film brings together some of Cambodia’s best-known actors from The Last Reel, including Ma Rynet, Ros Mony and Hun Sophy.

Soul River was part of the Mekong 2030 anthology, which presents five short films from five Southeast Asian directors, including Kulikar Sotho to represent Cambodia and Hanuman Films. Shooting took place in the Ramsar Wetlands and Stung Treng on the Mekong River as well as on the Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap. The co-production was supported by the Luang Prabang Film Festival, Mekong River Commission, Asia Foundation and Oxfam. It premiered in Vientiane in 2019 and screened at virtual film festivals around the world, including Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Production: Hanuman Films – 2019
Director: Kulikar Sotho
Director of Photography & Editor: Morgan Havet
Talent: Ros Mony, Hun Sophy and Ma Rynet.