PHNOM PENH: As Season 2 “The Exceptional” presented by ABC approaches the finale this 16 December 2022, EAC News sits down to get to know the 10 exceptional individuals.
Chum Sothea, a renowned TV commercial director, kick-started his career after graduating in film production from South Korea in 2016. He has worked on producing a vast range of content, including documentaries, short films, TV game shows, and TV commercials. He is also an alumnus of prestigious film academies, including AFA (2017) and FAJR (2019).
Sothea told EAC News that he was honored and excited to be recognized even though it was unexpected. While filming the 90-second short, as can be seen on ABC Beer Cambodia YouTube channel, he described the experience as challenging but gave him “a chance to think about what [he] really believes in and what should [he] represents in life.” It helped him to re-evaluate what he considered special to him.
After graduation, he focuses on the commercial industry due to the quick turnover nature of the projects, which pushes him to constantly explore different techniques and moods as he is still figuring out how to separate Cambodian cinema from the rest of the world. He follows closely with his motto to “be the first to make it happen because there is always room for improvement” and knows that nothing is impossible.
The proudest moment in his career is when he finished a job for an international brand, and one of his professors wrote an article about it in his magazine. Sothea will never forget that feeling. It was not about being published but rather being recognized by someone whom he did not think would see his work.
Although it was not his goal to be considered an "exceptional" individual or to influence others, he hoped that those who look up to him would pay more attention to everyone around them as everyone has a story to tell and can help teach them to grow.
He said, “Nobody knows completely what they are doing…We all have [a] different start. Discover yourself. Only you, yourself, would know how you could take that one step forward…From your current self to your future self is a path you have to build. Look at how other people are dealing with their journey and how you should decide on your own. Hardship is a part of life. It's always a battle to go uphill, it's natural because you are going against gravity, keep going. I guarantee you will learn the biggest lesson in life in your darkest hour. You will only become stronger.”
If Sothea is selected to receive the $20,000, he would donate half to PSE film school to encourage and help the younger generation to continue to receive film training. The other half he would like to support one short film of his choice. He often receives scripts and would like to help make one dream come true by helping to produce their film.
For more details about “The Exceptional” campaign, you can visit:
ABC’s website: https://abcbeerkh.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ABC.ExtraStoutCambodia
Instagram: @abcbeer.cambodia
YouTube: ABC Beer Cambodia
