Chhith’s writing and directorial debut Golden Dragon announces him as a distinctive voice in fiction filmmaking, and is another high calibre work from the Cambodian film production powerhouse Anti-Archive, whose works were spotlighted in a BFMAF 2022 Focus programme. Set in Sihanoukville, a coastal city that has undergone rapid redevelopment following heavy Chinese investment, Vicheka returns to honour the memory of his late father yet finds the city in a state of construction and abandonment. Its languid pace allows us to linger in reflective moments along with our protagonist, whether gazing upon a brutalist concrete landscape, or the lapping of waves as the sun sets over the beach. A restrained and skilfully crafted drama, Golden Dragon is a poetic evocation of the way in which memories can crash vividly and unexpectedly into our waking reality. (Alice Miller)
