an ACW story

synopsis

Set against the exotic beauty and enchanting ancient culture of Cambodia, two young girls embark upon a journey of yearning in search of the family they never had. Carrying with them an optimistic joy and infectious love for life, they set out unaware of the dangers and hardships of life on the streets.

Pim, a strong independent girl on the cusp of adolescence, and her younger ‘sister’ Chamron, share a special bond, having grown up together without parents. When financial trouble looms at the orphanage, they decide to run away and find a better life. Travelling through sweeping green rice fields and stunning panoramic vistas of rural Cambodia, they slowly drift toward the city.

Here amongst the noisy busy streets, speckled with homeless children and beggars bereft of limbs, are the human remnants of the fallen Khmer Rouge regime. The urban kaleidoscope is awash with jostling traffic, bustling markets, and an endless sea of faces. It leaves the girls searching for salvation, struggling for charity to survive.

Alone and against the world they meet Kith, a knight in shining Ray-Bans, cool as the day is long and larger than life. He is an older boy, a natural born hustler, streetwise and savvy. Kit takes them under his wing, teaching them how to survive as the three drifters travel toward the sea. Slowly Pim and Kith fall for each other, discovering the love for which they have been searching.

On this journey of unconscious self-discovery, they experience the world without any filters, as only a child could: beautiful, vibrant and exciting, but also daunting and confusing. Through the people they meet and their stories, the children gain an insight into their history and culture, embracing the true beauty of this country, its people.

In this land of contradictions it will be the children that lead the way back.