Luke Duggleby

CAMBODIA: Roland Joffé Returns to Cambodia

Award-winning film director Roland Joffé, who received an Oscar nomination for the movie The Killing Fields, has returned to Cambodia to begin researching his next project.

The Killing Fields portrayed the horrors of the Khmer Rouge through the friendship of two men, an American journalist for The NewYork Times, and his translator, a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge in Communist Cambodia.

27 years after Joffé's first ever feature film rose to high acclaim he is back researching his next movie. Still in its early stages the movie will look at the rise of a disabled volleyball league and the national teams attempt to become No.1 in the world which for the last 16 years has been run by the Australian Chris Minko.

I caught up with Joffé on his last trip where he visited the grand final of the World Organisation of Volleyball Disabled (WOVD) Standing Volleyball World Cup 2011 final between Germany and Cambodia. This was the third World Cup Cambodia has hosted because of the passion and dedication of Minko to disability people and Cambodia.

As well as the movie Joffé came to research possible expansion projects for the NGO The Cambodia Trust, being a founding trustee since the NGO began work over 20 years ago and now a Patron.

To learn more about The Cambodian Trust visit www.cambodiatrust.org.uk.

Learn more about Roland at www.rolandjoffe.com.

Roland Joffé visits a Red Cross project in a remote part of Battambang Province. As well as the movie he is wating to start up some development projects to help people with a disability.
   
Roland Joffé sits chatting with Chris Minko during a rickshaw ride through Phnom Penh.
   
Roland Joffé sits with several high ranking Cambodian ministers during the Standing Volleyball World Cup semi-final which Cambodia won.
     
  
Roland Joffé is introduced to Madame Sopheak, Deputy Secretary General of the Cambodian Red Cross by Chris Minko. Roland wants to learn about how they work before he starts his own project.
   
Roland Joffé and Chris Minko wait to greet the Cambodian national team as they return from their semi-final victory against Sri Lanka.
  
Roland Joffé has breakfast with Chris Minko in Phnom Penh.
     
  
Roland Joffé is introduced to Madame Sopheak, Deputy Secretary General of the Cambodian Red Cross by Chris Minko. Roland wants to learn about how they work before he starts his own project.
   
Roland Joffé visits a Red Cross project in a remote part of Battambang Province. As well as the movie he is wating to start up some development projects to help people with a disability.
   
Roland Joffé visits a Red Cross project in a remote part of Battambang Province. As well as the movie he is wating to start up some development projects to help people with a disability.
     
  
Chris Minko tells Roland Joffé sitting opposite about his disappointment of loosing to Germany just minutes earlier in the final of the Stand Volleyball World Cup.
   
Roland Joffé greets a proud but disappointed Cambodian National team after the final of the 2011 Standing Volleyball World Cup as they enter their local restaurant to eat.
   
Roland Joffé visits a Red Cross project in a remote part of Battambang Province. As well as the movie he is wating to start up some development projects to help people with a disability.
     
  
Roland Joffé and Chris Minko celebrate Cambodia's semi-final win over a strong Sri Lankan team during the WOVD Standing Volleyball World Cup held in Phnom Penh.
   
Roland Joffé visits a Red Cross project in a remote part of Battambang Province. As well as the movie he is wating to start up some development projects to help people with a disability.
   
Roland Joffé's presence at the semi-final filmed by Bayon TV, one of Cambodia's largest TV channels.
     
  
Roland Joffé visits a Red Cross project in a remote part of Battambang Province. As well as the movie he is wating to start up some development projects to help people with a disability.
   
Roland Joffé, Chris Minko, the national team players and several Cambodian ministers celebrate Cambodia's semi-final win over a strong Sri Lankan team during the WOVD Standing Volleyball World Cup held in Phnom Penh.
   
An ecstatic Chris Minko hugs one of the Cambodian players whilst Roland Joffé observes.
     
  
Roland Joffé is introduced to Madame Sopheak, Deputy Secretary General of the Cambodian Red Cross by Chris Minko. Roland wants to learn about how they work before he starts his own project.
   
Roland Joffé, Chris Minko and Willy Guillory (centre) sits in a local restaurant in Phnom Penh after Cambodia lost the World Cup final to Germany. Willy, an ex-LA cop, was brought in to train the Cambodian national team as a fitness and motivational coach.