“Our Cambodian Production Industry Is Positively Booming”

As part of the ‘Portraits of CREATVAsia’s Associates’ series, this month, Othello Khanh, managing director of The CREATV Company spotlights Cambodia alongside long-term collaborators Nick Wood, a producer and director who has worked in the country for the last two decades, and Sothit Ear, a local Khmer who has worked on large-scale film projects, local Khmer language films, and numerous promos and documentaries.

Othello reflects on getting to know Nick and Sothit, and interviews them on what makes Cambodia such a unique destination, and the opportunities on the horizon for this growing production landscape.


Cambodia has a special place in our hearts at The CREATV Company. Its beautiful locations and enthralling culture make it a favourite among the territories we do projects in. Of course, we couldn’t forget our associates there who are an integral part of my fond feelings for the country.

The first time I heard of Nick Wood and Sothit Ear was when I met our mutual friend – Chika – who embodied the craziness of Cambodia in the late ’90s. He was really a character. Larger than life. He passed away recently and we all miss him. Chika would always tell me about his great friends in Cambodia. My first impressions of Nick were of a well-spoken Englishman riding a bicycle around Southeast Asia, showing his perseverance and strong legs. We kept in touch on my business trips over the years, where he was part of a group of friends and filmmakers working and setting up shop in what was then an exciting, emerging market.

When we started to offer Cambodia as a destination for international reality shows, we reached out to Nick because of his honesty and his business ethics. We’ve since collaborated on many programmes and shows where our clients have been as equally thrilled to work with Nick as I am. His level of understanding of Cambodia, and its culture, as a foreigner is without comparison, as is his proficiency with fixing.

Now, none of what we’ve accomplished in Cambodia over the years would have been possible without Mr. Sothit Ear. Part of the original group, Sothit’s deep understanding of Khmer culture and soul brought so much to all of our projects. I see Sothit as a close friend, fellow Francophone, and key man that can always be counted on to come through with a great spirit of hard work and cooperation.

I leave the rest to these two extraordinary gentlemen to express in their own words.

CREATV> You both live and work in Cambodia, Sothit as a native, and Nick, having arrived here from the UK. Tell us what you most love about Cambodia from a native and foreign perspective, and what makes this location such a great place for production.

Sothit> It has to be said that, in terms of location, Cambodia is among the nicest places you can go in terms of the freedom one has and natural beauty. It’s one of the few countries you can say is still the same as what it was in the past 20 years.

Our locations are virgin compared to neighborhood countries. And, of course, we have Angkor Wat, one of the wonders of the world and perhaps the best known temple. The splendour of the Khmer Kingdom constructed centuries ago is totally unique. This is our national emblem and source of great pride.

Nick> I became fascinated by the American-Vietnamese war as a kid but it took me just over a decade to set foot in the Southeast Asia region. Having moved back to London from California after university, I worked in advertising and film. There were few local production facilitation companies in far-flung corners of the world, and the UK advertising industry, in particular, was hitting its zenith, exploring the possibilities of filming in ever more unusual destinations for commercials.

I’d always been an avid traveler, and RSA Films asked me to go to Thailand to scout locations for a computer game advert. It was a dream job and, as I’d recently spent a summer in Koh Samui helping out a friend’s fledgling dive company, I was deemed suitably experienced enough to take on the assignment. It was, it’s fair to say, a life-changing experience.

A few years later, still obsessed with Southeast Asia and keen to explore Vietnam and Cambodia, I came across a series from the late, great Brazilian photographer, Sebastião Salgado. His photographs of amputees in Cambodia accompanying an article on the devastation still being wrought on the civilian population following the war and the devastating Khmer Rouge period struck a chord with me. I wanted to do something to raise awareness and money for those afflicted.

I teamed up with The Cambodia Trust and Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and decided to ride my bicycle across Vietnam into Cambodia. These were the early days of ‘doi moi’ (the opening up of Vietnam economically), and an ongoing civil war in Cambodia.

Not put off, in 1991, a friend and I managed to cycle the length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and 2,650 kilometres later we found ourselves in Phnom Penh. Another life-changing event for me.

I moved to Cambodia full-time in 2001. It was, as you can imagine, a very different place and time from what it is now. I’d been coming and going, making short films mostly on the problem of landmines, and it’s fair to say I’d fallen in love with its culture, history, charm, and unbelievable friendliness.

It was a familiar place to me, and my Cambodian wife was keen to return after living an exile’s life in Paris and Rwanda. Cambodia, although small compared to some of its neighbours, had a young and vibrant population, and it felt like the country was eager to be a destination for film work in every sphere. Cambodia had such amazing temples, a beautiful coastline, a unique architectural style – both Cambodian and French, a rich cultural heritage, and the country felt like it was on the cusp of a renaissance of sorts.

Added to that was the fact that Cambodians are a happy people who are more than ready to try new things and take on new challenges. The pieces pretty much fell into place themselves, and Cambodia quickly became home.

CREATV> What’s something about Cambodia’s production industry that you think is often overlooked or not widely known?

Nick> The younger generation is incredibly adaptable, eager to learn, talented, often multi-lingual, and has been quick to embrace the digital world we now live in. I’m kinda old school and started making films on Super 8 and gigantic U-matic tapes, so for me it was great to be embraced by people who could also teach me a thing or two.

Cambodia’s greatest asset is, without doubt, its people. It also helps that they’re almost always smiling!

Sothit> Our Cambodian production industry is positively booming. We have a film industry that’s growing incredibly fast, especially given the global condition of internet connectivity. This is rooted in a vision going back to the 1960s when we had our Cambodian national cinema idols and amazingly diverse musicians.

The scene right now is dynamic, with this new generation coming in. This is a big, and fast-growing generation that has lived abroad, has experienced the likes of Hollywood, or French film production, German film production… who really want to make Cambodia stronger in regards to the cinema industry.

CREATV> You’ve worked with many international crews in Cambodia. What are some things that surprise them when they come to film here for the first time?

Sothit> The ability of Cambodian people to speak fluently French or English or Chinese. Or all.

Nick> There’s nowhere in the world like Cambodia. Its culture, its history, and its people are just so fascinating and have influenced so much of the region. Cambodia has suffered through trauma that would break most other nations, but somehow Cambodians have retained a warmth, kindness, and openness that I have rarely experienced.

Most crews that come here feel that as soon as they arrive, and I know full well, they take that understanding with them when they leave. In Cambodian, our word for fun is ‘sabhay’, and honestly, you are never far from it when you are here.

CREATV> ⁠We’ve spent years working together on ‘The Amazing Race.’ Looking back, what are some unforgettable moments from your time on the show?

Sothit> The joy in seeing the foreign cast and crew – all kinds of people from all over the world. The expressions of excitement in their eyes at seeing the splendour of Angkor Wat for the first time and the show coming together.

It’s such a special place. I feel everyone needs to come here to see it. And if you’ve been before, you need to revisit – it’s even better today: cleaner, better setup with easier access to sites. The wonder of Angkor Wat is truly unique in the world.

Nick> CREATV brought ‘The Amazing Race’ to Cambodia, and as the leader in reality TV, the show broke new ground in coming here. Othello wanted to replicate in Cambodia the experience he was able to offer in Vietnam. Without a doubt, that first show we did together was a watershed moment, as nothing like it had ever even been attempted before in Cambodia. It was a steep learning curve for all of us involved, but it also taught us to think big and never take no for an answer.

The US production team loved the Cambodia experience and perhaps saw what I saw in Cambodia’s potential when I first arrived. They promised to return and stayed true to their word – we’ve now done ‘The Amazing Race’ (US) three times and the syndicated show multiple times, both in Siem Reap, where the famed temples of Angkor are located, and also in Cambodia’s vibrant and fascinating capital, Phnom Penh.

CREATV> Can you share a memory or production moment that you believe encapsulates the production scene in Cambodia?

Nick> In Cambodia, there’s a ‘never say die’ attitude. People just don’t give up, and I like that. In the early days of my production work here, my team and I did the first-ever commercial shot at the Angkor Archaeological Park, and it was a completely unknown quantity for everyone involved.

The challenges were significant and ranged from sourcing a local crew, endless power outages, accessing, and getting approval to film in one of the most unique landmarks in the world, and dealing with the sometimes unforgiving monsoon season. Honestly, just finding a hotel that could accommodate a crew of 80 and a mountain of equipment and trucks was not for the faint of heart. Anyone who was here more than 20 years ago will understand what I’m talking about.

But on that first shoot, the team met every obstacle head-on and, as I say, just never gave up. The camera and lighting equipment all came overland from Thailand, but in those days, the roads were often impassable at the best of times. Add to that a ferocious rainy season, and those roads soon became washed-out muddy tracks, and bridges were frequently washed away. We had to contend with all of that, but somehow the team managed, through the night, to get the equipment across the border and to Siem Reap, just hours before the first day of production began. Everyone arrived covered in mud.

Sothit> Whether it’s a professional, experienced team coming in from abroad, or a first-time indie filmmaker, the memories of production from anyone who’s worked in Cambodia is palpable. Once they reach Cambodia, they are surprised by the capacity and by how far advanced Cambodia is in terms of film production. Because our facilitation is so active, we have a full team capacity to work on all kinds of productions and films and easy access to all kinds of equipment.

CREATV> What are some of your other favourite projects you have collaborated with us on?

Nick> I wrote and directed an eight-part soap opera/comedy series on Cambodia’s garment sector for the UN’s ILO. Vietnam had similar issues, and I was asked to replicate the series there, taking into account Vietnamese cultural differences and the unique humour of its people.

CREATV came on board as my local production partner and provided everything I needed from a local director to the full crew and equipment requirements. CREATV had access to locations I never could have found and was able to navigate the once complicated procedures to obtain filming permits and government acceptance of the project without any hitches. The series was a big success and ended up on national TV, which in turn led to me doing the series in Lesotho and South Africa.

CREATV> The industry has experienced significant growth throughout your career. Where do you see the production scene in Cambodia heading in the next few years?

Sothit> We have a chance to grow our industry if we can share our knowledge and natural resources with our closest neighbours like Vietnam and Thailand. We can grow something unique in all locations that we all have in Southeast Asia. We can reach all types of industries from Bollywood to Hollywood to Korea and Japan.

Nick> Cambodia has so much to offer the film and TV production world – unique locations, a vibrant culture, an enthusiastic government that welcomes filmmakers, a much-simplified process of getting film permits, low costs across the board, and a dynamic home-grown film industry that will take on any challenge.

Local production is expanding, and the quality of output has grown immeasurably. Numerous big-budget films have now been made in Cambodia, and the experience those have brought has not been lost on Cambodia’s increasingly talented technicians and production teams.

Cambodia is one of the safest, friendliest, and welcoming countries in the world, and my feeling is that the future is extremely bright for Cambodia, certainly in terms of production and facilitating shoots, big or small.