Followinghermother’sdeath,mangaartistSoriyatravelstoherancestralhomeinPhnomPenh,withhopesofreconnectingwithherdistantfamilyandusingthevisitasinspirationforherworkAllgoeswellinitiallyRentinganapartmentinMetta,arundownKhmerRougeerahousingcomplex,hervisittohermaternalrelativesfindsherwelcomedwithopenarmsButSoriya’swakinghoursintheapartmentanditssurroundingsarepunctuatedbyterrifying,bloodyvisions,almostasthoughshewereaconduitforhorrorsofthepastwantingtoseepintothepresentInrasothythepNethandSokyouChea’sbloodchillingpsychologicalhorrorexploresapersonalandpoliticalpastthroughthepresent,transformingacharacterfulspaceintoaninsidiousenvironmentSurroundedbymodernhighrises,thisdecrepitstructure,withitsbrutalistarchitectureandpeelingsurfaces,isarelicfromadarkperiodinhistorywhosepainfulmemoriesithasabsorbedIntracingSoriya’sominousjourneybacktoherroots,TenementhintsatanecessaryreckoningwithCambodia’spoliticalpastwithoutoverplayingitshistoricaldimensionIt’sanimpressiveworkfromawoefullyunderrepresentednationalcinema
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