Just flew back from Ratanakiri (and boy are my arms tired…wa, wa, wa). Went up there to expolore some doc ideas and meet with some NGO folks who are eyeing a potential doc about land alienation in the region (land grabbing: stealing land from the natives, it’s rampant).

Well, one thing led to another and after a day of shooting stills in the hills with a local Tumpun assistant from the NGO, went the next day to an even more remote hilltribe village, Jarai (sp?) very close to the border of Vietnam where hug construction companies have been slowly moving in for the kill.

Anyway, shot some vide which we hope to turn around very quickly for an NGO conference on the 11th, featuring the rearely seen villagers explaining their situation in their language (and Khmer) and pleading for assistance.

Spent the night in the houseof one of the family’s with the Jarai -speaking guide, woke to the sound of big animals beneatht he stilted house moaning in the dawn. Even had a dream that someone asked me a question , but instead a big cow answered : “yeaaaaaaa.”

Staggered out wearing my blanket like a chief, while everyone else was already gathered round their fire. They laughed and gestured for me to come over. After a brief hang amongst stogey-smoking elder ladies and the chief himself, we got down to shooting some video which I hoppe to post via a link on this blog shortly.

NOw back ion Phnom Penh, where the curvy beautiful Internet girls await me…