Top 3 Cambodia documentaries expose a country where labour and life are cheap

Half a century of war and social upheaval has left Cambodia, a country full of social problems. The trauma of its recent history has eroded the value of life. So much so, that Cambodia has become a magnet for the unscrupulous and perverted, where women are exploited in every way possible. Nowhere is safe in the country, as unexploded ordinance from its savage wars still litters the countryside.

1. My Mother Sold Me

As one of the poorest countries in the world, millions of Cambodians live in extreme poverty with little hope of improving their situation. My Mother Sold Me is a harrowing investigation of families selling their virgin daughters into prostitution where a teenage girl can be worth $400, or a year’s income to a poor, impoverished family.

2. Stitched Up in Cambodia

Cambodia has become a source of cheap labour, particularly in the fashion industry. Sweatshops in the capital Phnom Penh are almost exclusively full of women workers. However, with few rights, they’re most likely to be fired if they become pregnant, rather than their bosses pay legal maternity leave. The film Stitched Up in Cambodia exposes the working conditions of some of the poorest paid garment workers in the world.

3. Isaac: The story of a little giant

As the most bombed country in the world, Cambodia is littered with unexploded ordinance which kills farmers regularly. The clearing task is enormous, and every method is used to return the land to cultivation. Isaac: The story of a little giant, recounts the unusual tale of a tame rat trained to search out mines and other unexploded devices. The rodent’s acute sense of smell pinpoints ordinance sappers need to clear.

There are more thought-provoking Cambodia documentaries at RTD.rt.com