SURVIVING BOKATOR (2023 Re-Release)
A genocide survivor’s dream to revive an ancient sport becomes an inspiring mission to inspire a nation.
An elder master leads a team of young proteges on a grassroots mission to revive an ancient martial art and win international competition. Like many of Cambodia’s great traditions, Bokator was nearly eradicated by the Khmer Rouge 40 years ago and was feared extinct. Shot over 5 years, this powerful award winning film is a unique look into a post-war people’s efforts to reclaim traditional identity and find their place in a modern world. And as the only film to capture Bokator’s resurrection, it has become an historic record.
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Mark BochslerDirectorshorts and medium format
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Mark BochslerWriter
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Kevin SchjerningWriter
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Fernanda RossiWriter
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Faisal LutchmedialWriter
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Tamara ScherbakWriter
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Sandra LeubaProducer
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Loy TeProducer
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Kevin SchjeringEditorProm Night in Mississippi
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Sandra LeubaExcecutive Producer
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Cambodian Space ProjectName of Band or Artist
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Tharoth SamKey Cast"herself (Little Frog)"
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San Kim SeanKey Cast"Grandmaster San Kim Sean"
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Darith UngKey Cast"himself"
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:POV, Coming of Age, Female Empowerment, Family Drama, Sport, Culture
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Runtime:1 hour 27 minutes 13 seconds
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Completion Date:October 27, 2018
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Production Budget:247,813 USD
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Country of Origin:Canada
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Country of Filming:Cambodia
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Language:Central Khmer, English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Cambodia International Film FestivalPhnom Penh
Cambodia
October 13, 2018
World Premiere (not finished cut)
Official Selection -
Austin Film FestivalAustin, Texas
United States
October 27, 2018
International Premiere
Official Selection -
Philadelphia Asian American Film FestivalPhiladelphia
United States
November 9, 2018
East Coast Premiere
Official Selection -
Hamilton Film Festival - FinalistHamilton, Greater Toronto Area
Canada
November 11, 2018
Canadian Premiere
Finalist -
2018 Asia Pacific Golden Award WinnerNo screening
Golden Award Winner -
IndieFEST Film Awards - Award Of MeritCalifornia
United States
Award of Merit - Asian Documentary Film -
49th USA Film FestivalDallas
United States
April 27, 2019 -
Boston Asian American Film FestivalBoston
United States
May 17, 2019 -
European Cinematography Award - Best DocumentaryAmsterdam
Netherlands
April 1, 2019
Best Documentary -
Global Film Awards - Best Debutant FilmmakerLos Angeles
United Kingdom
April 1, 2019
Best First Time Film Maker -
NYC Indie Film Award WinnerNew York
United States -
Asian Cinematography Award Winner - Best Documentary
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Jaipur International Film FestivalJaipur
India
January 18, 2020
Indian
Best Debutant Filmmaker Documentary -
Chumbuk International Martial Arts Film FestivalCheungju
Korea, Republic of
September 1, 2019
Korean Premiere
Opening Film of festival -
Lonely Wolf London International Film Festival
United Kingdom
Winner Best Documentary -
Lonely Wolf London International Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
Winner Best Documentary Director -
Lonely Wolf London International Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
Nominee Best Picture -
Liverpool International Film FestivalLiverpool
United Kingdom
Winner Best Documentary -
Bangkok International Documentary Film FestivalBangkok
Thailand
Best Sport Documentary -
Paladino D'Oro Sport Film FestivalPalermo
Italy
Winner Best Editing -
FICTS World Champion Sport Cinema FestivalMilan
Italy
Mention D'Honeur
Distribution Information
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Finalizing within the next few monthsCountry: Worldwide
Mark Bochsler, Director / Cinematographer:
Mark Bochsler is an award-winning Canadian cameraman and photographer, turned filmmaker. During his 25-year career, his work has been screened internationally at festivals including Cannes (2010, At Home By Myself… with You), and television (ARTE, Animal Planet, Discovery, CBC). He was also nominated for a CSA / Gemini Award (Fatal Deception, CBC, 2013).
Mark is a visual artist and storyteller fuelled by a passion to explore diversity and points of view through real human stories. He believes that stories about the human journey are the fabric of our time, and sharing them can bring much needed empathy to today’s fractured world.
Mark currently resides in Toronto, Canada with his partner in life and work, Sandra Leuba, and their two young children.
Dear Programmer,
Inspired by the determination of Cambodians to save their threatened heritage, I initially set out to make Surviving Bokator to capture this unique moment in Cambodian history, the early days of the struggle to revive one of the world’s most ancient martial arts, Bokator. In this way, the film would serve as a national and world cultural heritage record.
Yet, a couple of years into filming, unexpected events happened in the story putting Bokator’s revival mission at risk. From that, deeper themes emerged giving the film greater scope and purpose. The generational conflict that exists in many post-war, post-trauma societies, for example.
Surviving Bokator is an intimate personal narrative that also represents the broader story of a post-war people, struggling to reclaim their traditional identity and find its place in a modern world. For Cambodians, the ancient Khmer martial art of Bokator (which has its techniques carved on the walls of the majestic temples of Angkor Wat) is today a metaphor for the Khmer people’s collective strength and resiliency.
Universally, the film has great social relevance, and beyond the Cambodian and martial arts diaspora the film is having great impact with audiences. It illustrates directly the critical value culture and identity hold to us all. In today’s global climate of war and conflict, it is also an inspiring catalyst for the healing that we wish to see worldwide, the ability of a people to steer through adversity and to recover from devastating loss.
As Bokator continues to grow, so has our film’s audience and the impact the film is having. A decade after we first began filming this story, the Bokator grassroots movement has swept Cambodia, and will soon reach around the world. And late in 2020, Bokator will be officially endorsed by the United Nation’s cultural wing, UNESCO when it receives World Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
Thank you for your consideration. We would be honoured to screen our film at your festival, and share with your audiences a Bokator performance and other cultural ad-ons.
Mark Bochsler
Director