S21

Digital Divide Data photo shoot

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I had the pleasure of shooting documentary stills this month for Digital Divide Data. The approach was a mix of staged and documentary photography for DDD’s future publications and websites -

“DDD delivers digital content, data, and research services to clients worldwide including research institutions, cultural heritage organizations, nonprofits, NGOs and commercial enterprises”.

DDD train students to work as researchers and image/document archivists. Their Cambodia head office and training center is based in Phnom Penh. There are also several rooms at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum dedicated to archiving the images and documents that survived the reign of terror during the Khmer Rouge era of 70s Cambodia. Below are a few examples from the images I shot over the two days.

Chum Mey S21 Survivor

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Returning to a work in progress portrait photography project Dreamyland with this picture of Chum Mey. Chum May is one of 3 left alive today of just a few who survived the infamous Phnom Penh security prison known as S21 during the Khmer Rouge era in 70s Cambodia. An estimated 20000 men. women and children were tortured at the former Phnom Penh high school in Tuol Sleng district, before execution at Chung Ek on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, one of the many killing fields found across the country.

Most days Chum Mey can be found speaking with tourists and selling his autobiographical book “Survivor” at the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum along with fellow survivor Bou Meng.

I came across this informative 2016 BBC article by Kirstie Brewer about the two survivors at S21.

Toul-Sleng-Faces.jpg