Category: Night & Day

WED 4 | The dawn of a new Chinese calendar heralds a new year of change, and probably a whole bunch of failed resolutions and forgotten promises. But let’s focus on the warm fuzzy stuff. The timely Kar Chabphtaem is an exhibition that celebrates different beginnings and the ever-changing nature of time. Several local and international artists will express what they predict the year will hold for them, using various artistic mediums. Also present will be local spoken word poets, including Vatthina Tola and Myley Rattle, who will be spitting words of hope and redemption. If this all sounds too intense for anyone, that’s what the free wine is there for.

WHO: Artists & spoken word poets
WHAT: Exhibition opening & spoken word
WHERE: Garuda Khmer Restaurant, #21M St. 466
WHEN: 6pm March 4
WHY: Poetry = redemption

THU 26 | The feminine form is a beautiful thing, no matter how it’s captured. In her solo exhibition, Homage To The Sun, artist Anna Malgorzata’s highly textural figure drawings and paintings simultaneously celebrate the splendour and tranquility of the female body, as well as that of the earth’s most vital life source, through the use of warm colours and soft lighting. Having lived in Cambodia for the last four years, the hot climate and glow of the country’s people were among the inspirations that bore the seed of this series.

WHO: Anna Malgorzata Sudra
WHAT: Art exhibition
WHERE: The Insider Gallery, Intercontinental Hotel, #296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd.
WHEN: 6pm, February 26
WHY: Ladies are worth celebrating. Always.

THU 26 | Before you start thinking we’ve gone all soft on you, it should be clarified that there will be no singing or prancing at this stage play – far from it. This version of Oliver is, instead, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ original world, set in 21st Century Cambodia. You’ll see Oliver Twist as he’s never been presented before: surviving in the underbelly of Phnom Penh’s criminal world. See the dark side of the city through the eyes of a child, where anger and fear are as tangible as innocence and hope. And if that all sounds a bit too depressing for you, feel free to bury your head in the meal provided and rest a little easier knowing your attendance is contributing towards dental care at the school’s village development program. That’s nice.

WHO: Logos International School students
WHAT: Dinner theatre
WHERE: Logos International School, #928, St. Poung Peay & Bayab
WHEN: 6pm February 26
WHY: Oliver Twist meets PP Underbelly

FRI 27 | Known for his humorous and lively stage presence, Didier Wampas can often be seen treading the line between the tongue-in-cheek and downright politically incorrect. And this is exactly why we love him. Breaking microphones in extravagant costumes during rowdy punk sets is Wampas’ specialty, often accompanied by improvisation and crowd wanderings. Even if French punk isn’t your bag, the spectacle itself is something well worth watching. So much so that their next performance alongside French metal band Stonewall will be filmed for a video clip released later this year. Get involved and you may just weasel your way into their DVD.

WHO: Didier Wampas & Stonewall
WHAT: French metal/punk
WHEN: 7pm February 27
WHERE: Sharky Bar, #126 St. 130
WHY: There aren’t enough violent on-stage acts these days

FRI 27 | If you missed The Creem’s first party a few weeks back, sucks to be you. On the bright side, the success of their inaugural event promptly crystalised The Creem as the city’s prime party planners, the venerable duty of which is to deliver all manner of debauchery at which we can all frolic. Their next installment is going to get all kinds of wet, wild and wicked, with an epic pool party that includes music by BFOX (Kimchi Collective) and Cambo Disco Club, set within a venue that’ll make your eyes pop. The best thing about it? It’s happening monthly.

WHO: The Creem
WHAT: Pool party
WHERE: Base Villa, #29 St. 222
WHEN: 9pm February 27
WHY: Sweating in a hot club is getting old

TUE 24 | Over six days, Meta House will host the Social Impact Media Awards Film Festival. Los Angeles-based SIMA is an annual global documentary competition that honours members of both the independent film and global humanitarian communities through the promotion and screening of works by filmmakers, activists and change-makers. With an aim to advance global awareness, social justice, human rights and humanitarian development, SIMA will showcase a range of thought-provoking, engaging films from across the globe. It’ll leave you questioning social issues you didn’t even know existed.

WHO: Filmmakers & humanitarians
WHAT: Film festival
WHERE: Meta House, #37 Sothearos Blvd.
WHEN: 7pm February 24
WHY: Everyone should know about this stuff

FRI 20 | After extensive travel throughout Cambodia, Nepal and Canada for the last seven years, Canadian photographer Blair McDougall brings his latest exhibition to Phnom Penh. In Khmer: A Portrait, McDougall isolates the subject while maintaining a subtle connection to the surroundings. In doing so, McDougall hopes that audiences will derive their own narrative surrounding the presented works, connecting viewers to the subject matter on a more engaging and personal level.

WHO: Blair MacDougall
WHAT: Photography exhibition
WHERE: Meta House, #37 Sothearos Blvd.
WHEN: 6pm February 20
WHY: See Cambodia in a new light

FRI 20 | Born in England, Irish-Colombian Matt Giffen explores his place in the world using his unique voice that reflects a dynamic upbringing. His self-described “not-so-subtle blend of intelligence and crass self-depreciation” will likely leave you in good spirits. If the recent success of his sell-out debut show “Cocaine and Potatoes” at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe is anything to go by, you can expect a bloody good gig from an award-winning comedian.

WHO: Matt Giffen
WHAT: Stand-up comedy
WHERE: Equinox Bar, #3A St. 278
WHEN: 8pm February 20
WHY: “Cocaine and Potatoes” ‘Nuff said