French-Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou has emerged as a driving force in Cambodian filmmaking. Since visiting the country for the first time at the age of twenty-five, Chou has had a keen interest in the history of Cambodian cinema, as emphasized through his critically acclaimed 2011 documentary Golden Slumbers. He regularly works with emerging talent through his production companies Vycky Films and Anti-Archive.
Chou’s narrative features—marked by a mix of naturalism and dreamy cinematography—have gained international recognition, establishing him as one of the most well-known filmmakers in Cambodia, and beyond. His 2016 narrative debut Diamond Island won the SACD Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week section, and his second feature, 2022’s Return to Seoul, was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and received awards throughout Asia, North America, and Europe.
In this series, featuring films he directed and produced, Chou shares gems of French cinema that have moved and inspired him.