In the Life of Music is a Cambodian drama film directed by Caylee So and Sok Visal. The movie tells the story of how a song transcends time and becomes a piece of Cambodian history. The movie is set in two different timelines: from 1967 to 1975 during the reign of Prince Norodom Sihanouk; and in 2016. The story revolves around the Khymer Rouge regime, which banned music as it was seen as a tool of the bourgeoisie.
The movie opens in present-day Cambodia with the character of Sovanna (Sreynan Chea), a young woman who is looking for her grandfather's old cassette tapes. Her grandfather Champa (Vandarith Phem) was a famous Cambodian singer who became popular in the 1960s.
Sovanna discovers a cassette tape in which her grandfather sings a song called "Champa Battambang". The song transports Sovanna back in time where we see her grandfather, Champa as a young man struggling to make a living as a singer. Champa falls in love with a woman named Kampoul (Roza Las), who is also a singer. We see the two singers perform together in different kinds of events, from wedding parties to music festivals. Their love story is also interwoven with the political situation of Cambodia, where the Vietnam War, and later the Khmer Rouge regime, would bring great changes to the country.
As the story unfolds, we see Kampoul's father, a general, takes Champa to meet Prince Sihanouk, who was charmed by Champa's voice and signed him to a recording contract. The song "Champa Battambang" became an instant hit in Cambodia, but Champa's success was short-lived when his music was banned by the Khmer Rouge. The music was seen as a threat, and those who played it were executed or sent to labor camps to be re-educated.
Champa's love story with Kampoul comes to a tragic end when she disappears during the Khmer Rouge regime. The audience is taken back to 2016, where Sovanna learns about her grandfather's story and the song "Champa Battambang." In a touching scene at the end of the movie, Sovanna sings the song along with her grandfather, who has been reunited with his old bandmates.
In the Life of Music is a poignant movie that tells the story of Cambodia's rich musical history while exploring themes of love, loss, and the power of music to transcend borders and time. The movie's stunning visuals and soundtrack, which mixes traditional Cambodian music with modern pop and rock, make it a cinematic masterpiece. The performances of the three leads, especially Sreynan Chea, who plays Sovanna, are outstanding and bring emotional depth to the story.
Overall, In the Life of Music is a must-watch movie that gives a glimpse into the rich cultural history of Cambodia and the resilience of the human spirit in times of war and strife.
In the Life of Music is a 2020 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1.
