Angka Dar Qotdam (The Great Angka)

Inspired by the photographic weavings of Dinh Q. Lê on the splendor and darkness of Cambodia, I have been researching and focusing on that country's history for the last two years. In summer 2002 I visited Cambodia, and for me it was indeed an extraordinary event.

Near Siem Riep, I found the ruined but still magnificent Angkor Watt temple complexes. With a forty US dollars, three-day pass I was allowed access to this once majestic epicenter of the Khmer people, between the 9th and 12th centuries. "Angkor" literally translates as "Capital City" or "Holy City" and reflects a time when the Angkorian culture held dominance in much of what is referred to today as Indo-China.

Sadly, much of the architecture wonders of this culture now lie in ruin, taken over by the jungle and are falling apart due to time and Mother Nature. One particular temple, Ta Prohm, is heavily damaged and its stone structure is literally being crushed and strangled by unyielding banyan trees. While the Cambodian government is currently trying to restore many of these temples, it is a slow process and is expected to take many decades to complete.

In Phnom Penh, I visited the infamous Tuol Sleng Prison (which has since been turned into a genocide museum) where over fourteen thousand people were tortured and executed. I also ventured to some of the mass graves that were part of the Killing Fields. The pits remain unfilled and are eerie reminders of this grim past. Many of countless remains of the victims are now housed in a memorial stupa constructed near the site.

The visit brought back to mind the stories that I have read about the Cambodian tragedy as recounted by survivors. According to Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, one of these survivors, Angka Dar Qotdom is the title of one of the politically charged songs from the Khmer Rouge era, used to brainwash children into obedience to the party.