Diamond Island (film)

Diamond Island is a 2016 drama film directed and co-written by Davy Chou. The film is a co-production between Cambodia, France, Germany, Thailand and Qatar.^[1] The film features a cast of first-time actors. Casting took place over five months in the streets of Phnom Penh and on Facebook. The film was screened in the Critics' Week section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival^[2] where it won the SACD Award.^[3]

Diamond Island
Film poster
Directed by	Davy Chou
Written by	Davy Chou Claire Maugendre
Produced by	Charlotte Vincent
Starring	Sobon Nuon
Cinematography	Thomas Favel
Edited by	Laurent Leveneur
Music by	Jérémie Arcache Christophe Musset
Production companies	Aurora Films Vycky Films Arte France Cinéma Vanderstatic Anti-Archive 185 Films
Distributed by	Les Films du Losange (France)
Release date	13 May 2016 (2016-05-13) (Cannes)
Running time	101 minutes
Countries	Cambodia France Germany Thailand Qatar
Language	Khmer

Cast

• Sobon Nuon as Bora
• Cheanick Nov as Solei
• Madeza Chhem as Asa
• Mean Korn as Di
• Samnang Nut as Virak
• Sophyna Meng as Mesa
• Sreyleap Hang as Pinky
• Jany Min as Lida
• Samnang Khim as Leakhena
• Batham Oun as Blue

Plot

The film follows 18-year-old Bora, who leaves his rural village to work on the construction sites of Diamond Island, a luxury development in Phnom Penh. There, he befriends fellow workers and reconnects with his older brother, Solei, who had been missing for five years. Solei introduces him to a world of urban youth, filled with excitement, nightlife, and illusions.