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Bitter Melons

"Bitter Melons" is a short film about the pain we hold, and the growth we experience when we learn to let go. Sophia, a female line cook is tasked with delivering bitter melons to her estranged father. The delivery doesn't go as planned, but through personal encounters and challenges involving the bitter melons, she is forced to confront her past and connect with her heart, tribe, and cultural roots.

  • Thavary Krouch
    Director
  • Thavary Krouch
    Writer
  • Daniel Lamkin
    Writer
  • Daniel Lamkin
    Producer
  • Jess Wright
    Producer
  • Corey Gilbert
    Producer
  • Maria Roxas
    Producer
  • Pisay Pao
    Key Cast
    "Sophia"
  • Channy Chhi Laux
    Key Cast
    "Chenda"
  • Theavuth Chourb
    Key Cast
    "Young Piseth"
  • Japhet Balaban
    Key Cast
    "Brett"
  • Hector Vargas
    Key Cast
    "Carlos"
  • Arun Sampanthavivat
    Key Cast
    "Chef"
  • Sinath Khoeun
    Key Cast
    "Older Piseth"
  • Herman Asph
    Director of Photography
  • Felix Piñeiro
    Editor
  • David Deutsch
    Original Music
  • John Wong
    Sound Designer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 36 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 21, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Central Khmer, English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED Dragon, Arri Mini
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Thavary Krouch

Thavary Krouch has an MFA in Writing & Directing for Film from Columbia College Chicago. When she's not making her own films, she's supporting other independent filmmakers in her role as Independent Film Coordinator for the Chicago Film Office. She also has experience in film distribution, having managed the Facets Label of art house films. Her own films have largely focused on the Cambodian-American and immigrant experience.

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Director Statement

Although this story is rooted in my own personal experiences, I wanted to dig deep below the layers of cultural and ethnic identity to find the common thread that connects us all. I especially wanted to explore the ways food, tribe, and family becomes a means to our survival as human beings.

I know I am the lucky one to have survived two major wars – the one raging in my body during cancer treatment and the one in the faraway land of my parents' memories. This short film is ultimately a tribute to life and to anyone who’s doubted that healing can take place in the darkest of moments, or needed a telling of a story where love is the ultimate medicine.