Way Of The Woken Touk

Last Updated:

2021-12-06

Captured: 2019-11-08 ~ 2020-07-04

Duration: 20:43

Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Cambodia

A video celebrating the Khmer sporting tradition, Bon Om Touk, an ancient canoe regatta steeped in Buddhist religion, that commemorates a pivotal naval victory of Jayavarman VII in 1182, and awoke the Khmer empire to the ways of Mahayana Buddhism.

Production

My principal point of reference for all activities surrounding the Bon Om Touk festival was with Yoeurn Somoeurth, who guided me with an up-to-the-minute feed throughout the 3-day event. His temple, Wat An Kau Sa was my base, where he and his fellow monks were all helping me find my way.

Somoeurth with monks at festival finish line

I had to make many visits to the ancient temples of the Angkor Wat temple complex in search of clues surrounding the canoes, battles and Mahayana Buddhism.

I encountered architects, that I thought were archaeologists, that showed me how their work of reconstruction was processed.

Two architects mapping stone shapes and locations

Following the Covid-19 virus pandemic, Cambodia was generally closed to tourists, this caused many businesses dependent on tourism in Siem Reap to close too. I also had to downsize along with my homestay host. As luck would have it our new landlord was an archaeologist at Angkor, who gave me access to his collection of materials.

A key member of my team for this production was Phalla Yai, who became a camera operator, fixer and translator.

Phalla editing Somoeurth's interview translation over a cool coconut water

At the end of the production I made an equipment purchase I'd been meaning to make for the last couple of years. I now had a drone to do all sorts of captivating establishing shots, but not many skills in its operation. In my hunt for a drone, I came in to contact with an excellent droneographer and seasoned overlander himself, Roman Giger, who helped me get the images I had in mind, plus some of his own.

Music

During post-production, I finally came up against my picky taste in traditional oriented music and a desire to obtain permission for its use. I had found the excellent Krom Monster, fusion of Khmer traditional sounds and European taste for sequenced urban samples, but the person responsible, David Gunn, did not respond. Another member of that group, Phan Chamroeun, was also a member of Yaksao, a purely traditional styled Khmer orchestra of excellent proficiency, but without any recordings available. So I went about recording traditional pinpeat orchestras that play at temples and other sacred spots.

However, I found that one of the instruments specifically the sralai (oboe), a nasally screeching sound that was particularly grating to my ear. One orchestra were happy to play 2 pieces for me without all the instruments; one solo piece played on the kong vong (Gong chimes) is so catchy I can't get it out of my head,

and a duet of the kong vong with roneat thong (Xylophone) an upbeat light-hearted piece played at festivals like Pchum Ben or Bon Om Touk.

Whilst processing the audio files I was reading about the history of the pinpeat orchestra to find that the "pin" for which the orchestra is named after, is in fact the word for a harp. It transpires that the harp was the principle instrument of the orchestra, but at some point in the 15th century is no longer featured in iconography or inscriptions of the Angkor temples. It struck me that the delicate and refined sound of a harp would have been obliterated by the sralai oboe and the larger drums. Undoubtedly the pinpeat orchestra of Angkorian times would have sounded very different to the ones of today.

I then came across the scintillating harp music of Chen Sopheak, which in turn lead me to the work of ethnomusicologist, Patrick Kersalé, who has been researching and helping reintroduce the Khmer harp back into the world. Whilst it had been very difficult to obtain music from other sources these wonderful harp pieces, beautifully recorded are public domain. Listening to them and looking at images of Angkorian temple iconography, instantly transported me to a vision of a highly sophisticated society, refined and accomplished in the arts. The music lends itself well to the admiration of the nature and beauty surrounding the courts and temples. Later Patrick confirmed to me that Mohaori music was indeed entertainment music of the royal court.

I found that the harp music matched my slow moving aerial shots and Angkorian images beautifully, I'm deeply grateful to Chen and Patrick for their offering to the heritage of world culture.

Credits

Featuring

Yoeurn Somoeurth - Buddhist Monk

Introduction Music

"Global T"
Virgil Howe

Music

"Khmer Harp Music 16"
Chen Sopheak, Patrick Kersalé "Festival"
Preah Ang Chek Players "Gongs"
Preah Ang Chek Players

Camera

02 - Phalla Yai Droneography - Roman Giger

Transcript

Khmer
Phalla Yai

Translation

English to Khmer
Sophea Seng Khmer to English
Phalla Yai

Producer

Tim Jules Hull

Special Thanks

Rina Roeun

GameSportFestivalRaceCanoeAncientBon Om ToukBattleBuddhistMahayanaJayavarman VIIKhmerEmpire

Parent Post: Bon Om Touk

Way Of The Woken Touk

Production

Music

Credits

Featuring

Introduction Music

Music

Camera

Transcript

Translation

Producer

Special Thanks

Author