Collected and bound: memories that will never fade in new book

Photo by: Peter Olszewski
A reader enjoys Cambodia Our Vision.

via CAAI

Friday, 03 December 2010 15:01 Peter Olszewski

ONE of the crowning achievements associated with this year’s Angkor Photo Festival is the publication of a handsome coffee-table book, Cambodia Our Vision, featuring 350 photos taken by the children of the Anjali House NGO.

The book, with French and English text, retails at $35 and is the result of a collaborative effort.

The photos themselves were selected and edited by the festival’s program coordinator Françoise Callier, and by Christian Caujolle.

The final editing was done by Caujolle, who is a founder of the photo agency l’Agence VU which was established in 1986. He was the creator of the department of photography in the French national newspaper, Libération, and has curated numerous international exhibitions and published monographs on a wide range of photographers.

The book was designed by Gil Plante, a French specialist in graphics, publishing and packaging design and father of Camille Plante, the general coordinator of the photo festival.

The book was printed and bound in Phnom Penh, and sponsored by Friends of Khmer Culture Inc and the Equality and Opportunity Foundation.

All sales proceeds go directly to Anjali House.

The book is divided into sections, such as “School”, “Market”, “Animals” and so on. Perhaps the most fascinating section is titled “Home” and gives insights into the domestic lives of some of the kids.

The book’s content is best summed up by Christian Caujolle, who says of the kids’ work in the book’s introduction: “It comes as no surprise that they would turn to the temples and be able to reconstitute their light and their particular blending of oranges and golds, highlighted by blues and whites.

“Or, that they would linger at the market, where they were as happy playing with ‘precious’ stones made from sparkling plastic as they were with the piles of merchandise or the everyday foodstuffs they know better than anyone.”

Cambodia Our Vision can be ordered by emailing info@anjali-house.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visiting www.anjali-house.com. In Siem Reap, it’s on sale at the Angkor Photo Gallery, FCC Angkor, Le Meridien, Siem Reap Hostel and McDermott Gallery.