Golden Voice

About the project:

video • 18:11 • Cambodia, USA • Khmer, English

GOLDEN VOICE is a short documentary about a community of Cambodian transgender men and lesbian women who survived the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime together in their twenties. The central protagonist is Noy Sitha, a transgender activist nicknamed the “man with the golden voice” after his beautiful singing voice. On the 40th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Sitha returns to the village of his women’s work camp for the first time since he escaped. The grueling, genocidal world of 1975-79 Cambodia is hardly where one would imagine hearing stories of queer love and friendship; yet remarkably, this documentary centers on a women’s work cooperative which was home to several young transgender men and lesbian women, all of whom became lifelong friends and even lovers. Shifting between the past, present, and future, GOLDEN VOICE meditates on how pain and love linger through the years, and how the wisdom of queer elders might provide hope and healing for generations to come.