Cambodia in the 1950s had a young and ambitious monarch in need of a young and ambitious architect. He found one in Vann Molyvann, and their 15 year partnership produced an astonishing array of grand public structures that drew on Khmer history, even while forging a new, forward looking identity. 

The early 90s marked the end of the Khmer Rouges and a new era in Cambodia. Eager to forget the past, the country went on a building spree. The capital city of Phnom Penh - long a low-rise town of temples and palaces - is now dotted with cranes worked by crews erecting high-rises that wouldn't look out of place in Hong Kong or Singapore. 

"The Man Who Built Cambodia" is a 24 minute documentary that captures the genius of Vann Molyvann and his fall from favour. In a new age that values progress at all costs, can his legacy survive and guide Cambodia into a new era?

Released December 2014
Media inquiries: Haig Balian, balianh[at]gmail.com