California Documentary Project

100.000 Dalamas

Vietnamese Youth Development Center
San Francisco

The life and music of a young Cambodian rapper

This half-hour documentary film chronicles the life and music of a young Cambodian American rapper, Prach Ly.

Viewers learn about Prach's personal history and identity, his home in Long Beach, his recent marriage, and his anxieties about the future, particularly concerning a promotional tour for his recent CD, "Dalama . the Lost Chapter." Dalama is a word Prach invented, from dilemma and drama. The film is structured abound the songs on the CD.

Project Director: Michael Siv said, "The documentary aims to shed light on stories told by and about Cambodian Americans, an underrepresented group both within America and Asian America. Through Prach's experience, we want to show how young Cambodian Americans are trying to envision their future here and forge a new cultural identity."

Siv's first documentary, Who I Became, chronicled the life of a 21-year-old Cambodian refugee on the brink of fatherhood.

Siv and the project sponsor, the Vietnamese Youth Development Center, plan to screen the documentary at various community events in San Francisco and beyond. Typically, the events will include a performance by Prach and community discussion.