Diamond in the river

Directed by Luyheng Yi, 14min, 2022, Khmer version with English subtitles

Mr. Nhoem Srorl is a freshwater clams finder in the Mekong River around Koh Oknha Tey in Phnom Penh. For his two children, he makes sure to earn enough money so that they can go to school. Every day, he spends 5 to 6 hours per day in the water to collect the clams at the bottom of the river. But it is a hard job to do: Sometimes he faces bad weather and therefore can’t catch any clams, or the season, in which he is allowed to collect the clams, has passed. In addition, many people started using illegal fishing equipment, catching clams during every season. Under these conditions, it is extremely hard for a traditional clams finder like Mr.Srorl to find enough clams to make a living.