Heng Rithmonich, 17, grade-twelve student at Hun Sen Serey Pheap High School

“I think Khmer movies are better. The themes of the movies are interesting to follow. However, what I don’t like is the way the actors and actresses perform - I find it too slow. The technical side and the final edits of Khmer movies also need improvement. From my point of view, we are behind other international movies such as Thai, Korean and Filipino ones. The factors that Khmer movie directors need to consider in order to improve our movie industry are technical skills, their cast’s ability to act, and the expense of making films.”

Ty Soksovan, 18, first-year student at Cambodian Mekong University

“I am not interested in watching Khmer movies. I feel that some actors and actress aren’t very good at acting, unlike foreign ones. Some Khmer acting comes across as clumsy. I prefer Korean and Chinese movies. However, I do think Khmer movies have been developing over the years and I hope they will improve to the same standard as their international counterparts, if not more. I’ll  watch more Khmer movies to support our local movie industry.”

Khem Vanneth, 22, warehouse bonder at E-Garment

“I can say that the story themes are much better than before. I would like to watch Khmer movies regularly. Some actors and actresses can perform very well, but some cannot. Compared to other international movies from places such as Thailand or Korea, Khmer movies still need some improvement. But some movie directors seem to be too predictable - they only choose well-known actors or actresses.”

Choun Sockhen, 23, sales staff at Italian Ice-Cream

“I like watching Khmer movies and I have noticed that some of the Cambodian television stations have been screening more and more Khmer movies and producing their own features. Khmer movies have developed over the years, and actors and actresses are looking so handsome and beautiful, and some of them are very talented. Moreover, I think their performances are so good they can be compared to the performances of foreign movie stars. In the future, I hope the Khmer film industry will develop even more with the support of local television stations.”

Seang Makara, 21, first-year student at University of Human Resources

“Honestly speaking, I do not like to watch Khmer television series or movies because of the way the actors and actresses perform. Another important thing is story flow - I think it needs to be attractive for the audience’s viewing pleasure, and they need to inspire the audience to watch it. If comparing movies made nowadays to those made in the 1960s, I believe the latter were much better to watch. In my opinion, Cambodian movies or TV series need some improvement. Movie directors have limited budgets to produce movies; therefore, it affects the quality of movies.”