A Cambodian Spring is an intimate and unique portrait of three people caught up in the chaotic and often violent development that is shaping modern-day Cambodia. Shot over 6 years, the film charts the growing wave of land-rights protests that led to the ‘Cambodian Spring’ and the tragic events that followed. This film is about the complexities – both political and personal, of fighting for what you believe in.

Director Chris Kelly said “A Cambodian Spring is for me a deeply personal film, which took nine years to complete. It is an exploration of what motivates us, what gives our lives meaning, and what happens when our personal desires colour and shape our actions. It is an unapologetically subjective portrait of my time in Cambodia, of the people who shared their lives with me and of the shifting landscapes, both physical and emotional, that I found there.”

A Cambodian Spring had its world premiere at the prestigious Hot Docs festival in Toronto, Canada in May 2017. The film won the Special Jury Prize for International Feature Documentary and has gone on to win many more awards and screened at film festivals all over the world including Busan, Docs MX and Antenna.

The film was nominated for a BAFTA for outstanding debut by a British writer, producer and director, and an IFTA for Best Documentary.

“Extraordinary documentary, really impressive” – Mark Kermode

“Gripping human drama” The Guardian

“Finds a brooding, doomed beauty in the landscape” – 4 stars – Little White Lies

“Powerful” – 4 stars – Total Film

“A turbulent, fascinating doc” – 4 stars – Time Out

“Elegant” Sight & Sound

“Stirring ” – 5 stars – Evening Standard

“Emotionally penetrating” – 4 stars – The Times

“A remarkable film . . . a universal story about a community trying to save itself from destruction” – 4 stars – The Independent

“Packs a punch” – 4 Stars – The Financial Times

“A disciplined epic . . . striking imagery . . . and a gripping story” – 4 stars – Donald Clarke – The Irish Times. 

“Masterful illuminating and absorbing” – 4 stars – Rte.ie 

“Compelling” – 5 stars – Entertainment.ie 

 “Evocative” – 4 stars – Irish independent 

“a story of profound tragedy … and courage “ – 4 stars – Scannain 

‘Enlightening, powerful and poignant’ – 4 Stars – Film-News.co.uk

“This film is a call to wakefulness and action” – Film Ireland

“A visceral, complex film that should come with a ‘For further study’ list” – POV Magazine

AWARDS

BAFTA – Outstanding Debut by a British Director, Producer or Writer – 2019

Irish Film & Television Awards – Nominated for Best Feature Documentary 2018 

Hot Docs International Documentary Festival – Winner Special Jury Prize (Canada)

Brooklyn Film Festival – Winner Best Documentary (USA)

Cambodiatown Film Festival – Winner Best Documentary (USA) 

DocsMX International Doc Festival – Winner Jury Prize 

Watch Docs Festival, December (Czech Republic) – Special Mention

Taiwan International Documentary Festival, May 2018 (Taiwan) – Winner – Grand Prize of the International Competition

One Country One Film, July 2018 (France) – Winner – Best Documentary

One World Media Awards – Shortlisted for Feature Documentary Category

Social Impact Media Awards – Special Mention – Feature Documentary

FESTIVALS

Hot Docs International Documentary Festival – Winner Special Jury Prize (Canada)

Brooklyn Film Festival – Winner Best Documentary (USA)

Galway Film Fleadh, (Ireland)

Guth Gafa International Film Festival, (Ireland)

Irish Film Institute Doc Fest, (Ireland) – In Competition 

Cambodiatown Film Festival – Winner Best Documentary (USA) 

International Documentary Film Festival DocumentaQro, (Mexico) – In Competition 

Antenna International Documentary Festival, (Australia) – In Competition 

Busan International Film Festival, (Korea) – Asian Showcase

DocsMX International Doc Festival – Winner Jury Prize 

Midbo International Documentary Festival, October (Columbia) – In Competition

Leeds International Film Festival, November (UK) – In Competition 

Queens Film Theatre, November (UK) – Cinema

Verzio International Human Rights Festival, November (Hungary) – In Competition

Junction North, November (Canada)

Watch Docs Festival, December (Czech Republic) – Special Mention

Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival, January (USA)

Re-frame Film Festival, January (Canada)

DocPoint, January 2018 (Finland) – In Competition

Available Light Festival, Feb 2018 (Canada) – In Competition 

Human Rights Human Wrongs Festival, Feb (Norway) – In Competition

Wakefield Doc Fest, March (Canada)

Human Rights Watch Film Festival, March (UK – London)

One World, March 2018 (Czech Republic) – In Competition 

One World, March 2018 (Romania) – In Competition

Right Now Film Festival, March 2018 (UK)

Amnesty Festival – Rome, April 20th (Italy)

Taiwan International Documentary Festival, May 2018 (Taiwan) – Winner – Grand Prize of the International Competition

Documentary Edge Film Festival, May 2018 (New Zealand)

Ecofalante Environmental Film Festival, June 2018 (Brazil)

Encounters Film Festival, June 2018 (South Africa)

Seoul Human Rights Film Festival, June 2018 (South Korea)

One Country One Film, July 2018 (France) – Winner – Best Documentary

Islantilla Cinefórum, July 2018 (Spain)

Flicks Community Cinema, July 2018 (Cambodia)

Film and Video Festival of Human Rights, August 2018 (Bolivia)

Thus Have I Seen Buddhist Film Festival, September 2018 (Singapore)

Freedom Film Festival, September 2018 (Malaysia)

Wathann Film Festival, September 2018 (Myanmar)

Inconvenient Films, October 2018 (Lithuania)

FCCT, October 2018 (Thailand)

Visible Record, October 2018 (Hong Kong)

40ª Semana Internacional de Cine de Autor de Lugo (Spain)

Solicitud Festival (Nicaragua)

Wathann Film Festival, September 2018 (Myanmar)

International Festival on Liberation and Human Rights April 2019 (Bangladesh)