The calm after the flood

The 9th edition of the Photo Phnom Penh Festival began on Friday, October 5 and will run for a month in the Cambodian capital. This year, nine exhibition venues across central Phnom Penh have been selected to showcase the work of 15 international artists. The first series you’ll have the chance to discover is by La Mo, a Khmer photographer. Through his series Kindness, he addresses a recurring issue in the kingdom: flooding—but from a less conventional angle.

On a street near the Monivong Bridge, it's 6 a.m. Phnom Penh is waking up. The eastern sunrise illuminates the faces of passersby, carefree and untroubled. The neighborhood looks cheerful. Some head out to sell fruits and vegetables, others leave for work with smiles on their faces, while children improvise as water taxis. All of this, on water. Boats, planks, and makeshift rafts glide through this part of the city six months of the year.

La Mo, a privileged observer perched on his balcony, captures these moments we typically refer to as floods.

“It’s a terrible phenomenon that can endanger and ruin lives. However, the photographs we usually see dramatize the situation,” explains the artist.

“Of course, such images are needed to bring about change. But I want to show that people in the neighborhood can adapt to this context—and do so with a smile. I want to make harmonious images out of difficult moments.”

For two years, the Khmer photographer fine-tuned his work between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., each day when “the sun shows its face.” Now, until November 5, his 17 photographs are on display at the French Institute of Cambodia as part of the Photo Phnom Penh Festival.

(Children from the neighborhood improvise as water taxis to earn a bit of money. ©La Mo)

The balcony: A perfect vantage point

At 41 years old, La Mo practices photography out of passion. He also works a separate job to support his family. One morning, while heading to work—immersed in water, as is the routine in his neighborhood—his wife offered to take him. With their motorbike unusable, she pulled a rope attached to a makeshift raft built from tires to carry him to dry ground.

“Just like everyone else around here,” he recalls.

“That moment, which felt rather amusing, made me realize that it’s possible to enjoy moments even in depressing situations.”

He began looking online, exploring flood-related photography. Some images appealed to him, others less so, but one thing was clear: something was always missing. So, he decided to elevate his perspective—literally—by shooting from his balcony to give his Kindness series a unique visual charm.

(La Mo’s wife used to pull him to work just like this mother carries her daughter through the water. ©La Mo)

From atop his balcony, he began seeing the same scenes in an entirely new light, unlocking new creative possibilities.

“When I decided to work on this series, I could only capture images on sunny days. The water would then become a black backdrop—sometimes calm, sometimes rippling—with reflections of the neighborhood visible in it,” he says.

“And I only noticed that once I was up on my balcony.”

For this series, La Mo used the sun as the centerpiece of his visual composition. His open, unobstructed neighborhood lets the morning light in—a sincere and pleasant light that enhances faces, objects, and reflections, and gives the landscape depth and meaning.

(A vendor heads to the market to sell her vegetables. The water looks like it’s asleep. ©La Mo)

The result is unmistakable: each photograph in the series radiates serenity and calm. What is typically seen as a tragedy—flooding—becomes pure, tranquil, almost joyful.

First stop of the Photo Phnom Penh Festival

La Mo’s 17 photographs can be viewed at the French Institute of Cambodia during the Photo Phnom Penh Festival. His series opened the festival on Friday, October 5, as part of the traditional tuktuk tour. For this 9th edition, festival founder Christian Caujolle stays true to his vision:

“I’ve never set any limits for myself. There’s no specific theme for the exhibitions we present. When I received the photographs, I simply selected those that moved me most—those that carry a powerful message,” he explained during the opening press conference.

“We’re also proud, for the second consecutive year, to exhibit in a middle school (Chaktomuk) and a high school (Preah Sisowath) to encourage young Cambodians to pursue photography.”

Floods, yes—but also identity, acceptance, archaeology, ecology, animal life, technology, and social issues—these are among the many subjects you can explore at the participating venues, free of charge, until November 5.

(Photo Phnom Penh Festival 2018 exhibition locations)

Thibault Bourru