Still I Strive (NR)

synopsis

At one orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the performing arts are the path to healing and transformation. Guided by their matriarch, renowned actress Peng Phan, the children aspire to achieve one of the highest honors in Cambodian society, to perform in front of Princess Bopha Devi. Interspersed throughout the documentary are narrative film sequences featuring the children as actors: With an epic battle, a chase scene, horror sequences, and melodrama, the narrative parallels the children's tragic backgrounds. The journey mirrors the travails of the nation that struggles to leave behind the tragic legacy of the Khmer Rouge era. Together, the children learn to overcome the past and create the future by being faithful to the present.