Before taking off to London - Rob Hamill
Well, I’m in the ‘as you’d expect’ chaos mode at the moment. Nearly ready to get in the car and head north to the big smoke (Auckland, of course) and board my plane destined for London, England to hook up with Annie Goldson and Peter Gilbert.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have played a significant role already in helping us get this far. The Cambodian community based in New Zealand have been incredibly helpful and generous but a particular mention at this point must go to Chakara Lim. He has been a pivotal person in helping us make contact with community leaders and has shown us the active and colourful culture thriving here in New Zealand.
I can’t emphasis enough how important this project is in reminding the world, lest we forget, of the atrocities in Cambodia. I was reminded today of this very issue whilst having a hair cut. I had to ask for a specific cut (#4 on sides etc) so that it’s consistent each time we film. I was asking how best to achieve this and in their inquisitiveness the two hairdressers in ear shot naturally asked why. When I got to mentioning Pol Pot by name they said, “Who?” They didn’t know anything about the Khmer Rouge either. Yet they knew plenty about Adolf Hitler. If I had said Pol Pot was the Adolf Hitler of Cambodia they would have immediately understood. As it is many people around the world have a similar lack of understanding of the recent history of this country.
This needs to be told in the hope that it doesn’t happen again.
- Rob Hamill
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