Category Archives: Lifestyle

OCIC starts theatre venture

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OVERSEAS Cambodia Investment Corp is investing more than US$3 million to build a new theatre and film centre on Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island – a move that could boost the Kingdom’s struggling entertainment sector.

The theatre would be the latest development for the satellite city on Koh Pich, which is set to see an ice skating rink and market open in time for this year’s Water Festival as part of a wider $200 million development.

Touch Samnang, project manager and architect of the Diamond Island development project, said the 3,000-seat theatre would be completed by April next year.

“Around 35 to 40 percent of our construction has been done” he said.

Prak Chan Long, general manager of Diamond Island convention and exhibition centre, said yesterday that the planned venue would be used for concerts, plays and film shows.

“Hopefully we will get a lot of clients to come here because we have a good location, and the theatre will be bigger than others,” he said.

Potential competitors welcomed the plan yesterday as a potential boost for the film sector, which some say has hit difficult times.

Keo Thy, manager of Cinema Lux Theatre on Phnom Penh’s Norodom Boulevard, said yesterday: “I am very happy. If we have a lot of theatres in Cambodia, it will push the film sector to improve, and our business will get better.”

According to one producer, the sector is currently struggling to the extent that some businesses are putting the production of films for cinema on hold.

“I’m going to stop film production for the next five months because Cambodia’s film sector and the film market are in a serious downturn,” said Korm Chanthy, managing director of FCI production, yesterday.

FCI production, he said, would continue to make films for television audiences.

The Diamond Theatre Centre is being built on two hectares of land on Koh Pich, which is located on the Tonle Bassac river in Chamkarmon district, Phnom Penh.

The Diamond Island project was originally slated for completion by 2016 at the earliest, when it was granted approval by the government in 2006.

Source: The Phnom Penh Post

Dancers join hands for Japanese festival

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JAPANESE and Cambodian dancers performed together to celebrate the Japanese festival of Bon Odori during celebrations at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Traditional drumming by members of the Cambodia Japan Cooperation Centre entertained guests before the opening ceremony, attended by members of the Japanese Embassy, Japanese Association, Centre of Japanese Language Studies and other non-profit groups.

Suzuki Yasujiro, the vice president of the Japanese Association in Cambodia, said the festival was normally celebrated each August in Japan. Buddhists believe the gates of hell are opened at this time, releasing spirits to visit their living relatives.

City workers return to their home towns to celebrate Bon Odori with their families, enjoying outdoor folk dancing.

“We make this an enjoyable event because many people come back from their work in cities. When we get together, we want to be happy together,” said Suzuki on Sunday.

“We like dancing and Cambodians also like dancing, so we have staged this happy event together in order to build more peace.” The festival was popular with children, he explained, and it’s a time to sample special Japanese delicacies and drinks.

Celebrations at the Cambodia Japan Cooperation Centre featured food stalls giving visitors an authentic taste of Japan.

Por Limeng, a 19-year-old student at the university’s Center of Japanese Language Studies, said that Bon Odori was similar to Cambodia’s Pchum Ben festival which also offered foods to the spirits of ancestors.

“I just learned about the festival recently, but at Pchum Ben we toss balls of rice to the spirits, and the Japanese have dancing instead,” he said.

He was one of about 40 student volunteers who dressed in traditional clothes to join in the Japanese folk dances. They also performed popular Cambodian folk dances and songs at the festival.

“When we dance, we meet more people, especially students from other universities,” said Por Limeng. “I think it’s just an entertaining event that helps Cambodia’s good relationship with the Japanese.”

Source: The Phnom Penh Post