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As described on this blog many times, for the past few years my creative partners at Persistent Productions and I have worked closely with our friend, Sam McGoun and the Sala Bai Hotel & Restaurant School in Siem Reap, Cambodia to document the positive work they are doing for some of the country's most disadvantaged youth.
Together Mike Rogers, Meghan Shea and I have created volumes of photographic reportage and documentary film about Sala Bai, a tuition-free hospitality training school, illustrating how they provide students with the education, capabilities and experience necessary to secure gainful employment in one of Siem Reap's countless hotels, guesthouses and restaurants.
Our most recent project with Sala Bai was last year when we followed Sam as he swam, cycled and ran more than 670km across Cambodia to raise funds for Sala Bai and increase awareness about the dangers of human trafficking.
Inspired by the challenges overcome by the students of Sala Bai, Sam’s route across the Kingdom of Wonder followed the actual journey traveled by a former student named Khatna: from her floating village in Mechrey on Tonle Sap Lake, to Sala Bai where she studied in Siem Reap, to her graduation celebration on the sandy beachfront overlooking the Gulf of Thailand in Sihanoukville.
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As the photography- and film-making team tasked with chronicling Sam’s odyssey, we documented his every step as he traversed snake-infested lakes and muddy rivers, ran through small dusty villages and pedaled across the glorious countryside of rural Cambodia on his way to raising more than USD$30,000 for Sala Bai.
At the conclusion of each leg we posted on this blog a daily journal and photo essay titled "Reports from the Road". And just recently Mike, Meghan and their extremely talented editor, David Flood, created this short film titled "A Step Between" which provides a candid, intimate look at Sam's cross-Cambodian adventure.
Sam has made a lifelong commitment to fight human trafficking and, in line with his promise, he will once again undertake a cross-Cambodia adventure in November. Mike, Meghan and I will be there to document and encourage Sam every step of the way.
Click here to watch our documentary team turn the cameras on ourselves in a short behind-the-scenes video.
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