THE ROOTS REMAIN
The film portrays a very important time in Cambodia’s history and cultural renaissance, and has the power to transform public opinion about the country of Cambodia and the stigmatization associated with graffiti artists as well.
The Roots Remain follows the story of Canadian-raised graffiti artist FONKi, as he returns to his ancestral Cambodia to reunite with his family and to meet with other leaders in Cambodia’s growing hip hop community. Utilizing rare 16mm film archives which follow FONKis great-grandparents as they return home from the Khmer Rouge labor camps, as well as family archives and original footage, the film chronicles the heartbreak of FONKi’s family during the genocide, and bears witness to FONKi’s efforts to continue his great-grandfathers legacy and to instill passion for street art in Cambodian youth. With his largest mural to date, he pays an emotional and poignant tribute in Phnom Penh to his grandparents who disappeared during the war. www.therootsremain.com