Tracking Cambodia's Evolving Cyber-Democracy

After editing a documentary about 1950s-era American life and working as the cinematographer on a pair of projects covering sex workers and a real-life slice of Orange Is The Black, Ellen Grant has directed her first feature project.

Cyber-Democracy: Cambodia, Kafka's Kingdom - currently at the film-festivals submission stage - documents the importance of cell phones and the Internet for those seeking change in the country. As well as the current government's ongoing efforts to suppress that kind of political freedom of expression.

Grant, based in Seattle, traveled to Pnom Penh initially to produce a different project. There, she became intrigued by the cyber-democracy forces at work, and the contrast between cities, where the Internet is available, and the countryside, where connectivity generally is not.

In an interview with Voice of America, Grant said she is looking to translate the voiceover narration into Khmer so that the film can be most effectively screened in Cambodia. She also made this rather unusual offer:

"The film can be seen on the Internet with the aid of a password. Anyone who is interested in seeing it can contact me and I will pass along the required password to preview the movie."

Contact the filmmaker here.

[Cyber-Democracy: Cambodia, Kafka's Kingdom]