Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In Cambodia, where the ancient city of Angkor once flourished, a temple sits on a man-made island in the middle of a reservoir. In Awkun (meaning “thank you” in Khmer), Cambodian American director praCh Ly shares a day in the life of the surrounding community, filmed on-site in West Baray and at the island-temple West Mebon.
A fisherman navigates to the reservoir in his boat before dawn. A merchant woman barbecues skewered fish from the same waters. A group of young monks accepts offerings, eats, prays, swims, and takes a boat out to the temple. Through such everyday moments, Awkun draws attention to the often-overlooked relationships that bridge sacred and urban spaces, from past to present.
This film was commissioned specially for our exhibition Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean: https://asia.si.edu/whats-on/exhibitions/vishnus-cosmic-ocean/
In Cambodia, where the ancient city of Angkor once flourished, a temple sits on a man-made island in the middle of a reservoir. In Awkun (meaning “thank you” in Khmer), Cambodian American director praCh Ly shares a day in the life of the surrounding community, filmed on-site in West Baray and at the island-temple West Mebon.
A fisherman navigates to the reservoir in his boat before dawn. A merchant woman barbecues skewered fish from the same waters. A group of young monks accepts offerings, eats, prays, swims, and takes a boat out to the temple. Through such everyday moments, Awkun draws attention to the often-overlooked relationships that bridge sacred and urban spaces, from past to present.
This film was commissioned specially for our exhibition Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean: https://asia.si.edu/whats-on/exhibitions/vishnus-cosmic-ocean/
