| Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll | |
|---|---|
 | |
| កុំស្មានបងភ្លេច ខ្មែរបាត់បង់តន្ត្រីរ៉ក់ | |
| Directed by | John Pirozzi |
| Produced by | John Pirozzi Andrew Pope |
| Edited by | Daniel Littlewood Greg Wright Matthew Prinzing |
| Music by | Scot Stafford |
| Distributed by | Argot Pictures |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English, Khmer, French |
Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll is a 2014 documentary film directed by John Pirozzi about Cambodian rock music in the 1960s and 1970s, and the impact of the Khmer Rouge regime and Cambodian genocide on the local music scene. It received positive reviews from critics.
Production
The idea for the film began when American filmmaker John Pirozzi was in Cambodia filming City of Ghosts. He was given a copy of the album Cambodian Rocks, a collection of untitled and uncredited music by artists presumed killed under the Khmer Rouge, and began researching the stories of the artists. Cambodian-born artist and sociology professor Linda Saphan acted as associate producer and lead researcher for the film. The film includes profiles of influential performers like Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, Baksey Cham Krong, Liev Tuk, Huoy Meas, Yol Aularong, Meas Samon, Pou Vannary, and several others (including Pen Ram, Pen Ran's sister), most of whom perished during the Khmer Rouge genocide, plus interviews with surviving performers like Sieng Vanthy, Mol Kamach, Mol Kagnol, and members of Drakkar. The film takes its title from a song by Sinn Sisamouth.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. On Metacritic the film has a score of 79 out of 100 based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". Film reviewer A.O. Scott of The New York Times mentions in short that, "Mr. Pirozzi's film is an unsparing and meticulous reckoning of the effects of tyranny on ordinary Cambodians. It is also a rich and defiant effort at recovery, showing that even the most murderous totalitarianism cannot fully erase the human drive for pleasure and self-expression."
Soundtrack
| Don't Think I've Forgotten | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Released | 12 May 2015 (2015-05-12) |
| Genre | Cambodian rock |
| Label | Dust-to-Digital |
| Producer | John Pirozzi |
The soundtrack to Don't Think I've Forgotten, featuring full versions of several songs that appeared as snippets in the film, was released on 12 May 2015. Personnel at Dust-to-Digital helped locate original versions of the songs and remaster them for compact disc.
Track listing
Note: Blank entries below indicate unknown information. The song "There's Nothing to Be Ashamed Of" (track 8) by Pen Ran is also known as "Love Like Honey" on other compilation albums. Additional songs may have slightly different English titles in other compilations due to the difficulties of translation from their original Khmer titles. The song "Dying Under the Woman's Sword" (track 14) is credited on this soundtrack to Yol Aularong and Va Savoy, but on the Cambodian Rocks compilation it is credited to Aularong and Liev Tuk.
| Number | Title | Performers(s) | Writers(s) | Year | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Phnom Penh" | The Royal University of Fine Arts | Norodom Sihanouk | 1967 | 3:33 |
| 2 | "Under the Sound of the Rain" | Sinn Sisamouth | Sinn Sisamouth | 3:03 | |
| 3 | "The Story of My Love" | Chhuon Malay | 3:10 | ||
| 4 | "Unique Child" | Huoy Meas | 4:54 | ||
| 5 | "B.C.K." | Baksey Cham Krong | Mol Kagnol | 1964 | 2:03 |
| 6 | "Don't Be Angry" | Ros Serey Sothea | 3:20 | ||
| 7 | "Dance A Go Go" | Sinn Sisamouth | Sinn Sisamouth | 2:52 | |
| 8 | "There's Nothing to Be Ashamed Of" | Pen Ran | 3:01 | ||
| 9 | "Full Moon" | Baksey Cham Krong | Mol Samel | 1963 | 3:05 |
| 10 | "Thevary My Love" | Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Serey Sothea | 1972 | 3:36 | |
| 11 | "Heaven's Song" | Ros Serey Sothea | Mer Bun | 1967 | 4:14 |
| 12 | "Navy A Go Go" | Sinn Sisamouth | Sinn Sisamouth | 2:48 | |
| 13 | "Console Me" | Sieng Vannthy | Voy Ho | 1974 | 3:27 |
| 14 | "Dying Under a Woman's Sword" | Yol Aularong and Va Savoy | 2:11 | ||
| 15 | "Crazy Loving You" | Drakkar | Drakkar | 1974 | 5:14 |
| 16 | "You've Got a Friend" | Pou Vannary | Carole King | 1974 | 3:49 |
| 17 | "Cyclo" | Yol Aularong | 1974 | 4:36 | |
| 18 | "Old Pot Still Cooks Good Rice" | Ros Serey Sothea | 3:22 | ||
| 19 | "Don't Think I've Forgotten" | Sinn Sisamouth | Sinn Sisamouth | 1974 | 3:30 |
| 20 | "Oh! Phnom Penh" | Cheam Chansovannary | Keo Chenda | 2:46 |
References
- Sisario, Ben (9 April 2015). "'Don't Think I've Forgotten,' a Documentary, Revives Cambodia's Silenced Sounds". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
- Downing, Andy (28 May 2015). "Film preview: Director John Pirozzi traces the history of early Cambodian rock 'n' roll in "Don't Think I've Forgotten"". Columbus Alive. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- Reed, James (23 April 2015). "'Don't Think I've Forgotten' explores Cambodia's rock scene". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- Nicholson, Malcolm Thorndike (21 April 2015). ""You Won't Find Anything. It's All Been Destroyed."". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- Winchester, Rupert. "Cambodia's lost rock 'n' roll". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- ^ Scott, A.O. (April 21, 2015). "Review: In 'Don't Think I've Forgotten,' Cambodia's Lost Generation of Pop Stars". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- "Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- John Pirozzi and LinDa Saphan, liner notes, Don't Think I've Forgotten, soundtrack, 2015.