by Noch Sreyleap, and Son Nary (Journalism and Storytelling Team of the DMC Media Club)
PHNOM PENH – The Department of Media and Communication (DMC) hosted the soft launch of ‘’Krahaam Podcast’’ at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The 12- episode documentary storytelling project by Year 3 students explores the Khmer Rouge period through archival research and survivor testimonies, aiming to bridge the generational gap, preserve historical memory, and encourage dialogue through accessible digital storytelling.
Produced under the guidance of DMC lecturers Mrs. Nov Povleakhena and Ms. Hean Socheata, the launch demonstrated how academic research can be transformed into engaging audio storytelling that encourages intergenerational dialogue.
Breathing Life into Archives
The core challenge of the ‘’Krahaam Podcast’’ was ensuring historical accuracy. Unlike creative writing, the student producers had to support every statement with verified facts, relying heavily
on the official legal archives and public testimonies of the ECCC.
Hem Chanthida, a year 3 student and the scriptwriter for Episode 4, titled ‘’Kompong Chhnang Airfield’’, focused her episode on a lesser-known site of torture. Her team discovered the story of HIM Han, a former Khmer Rouge soldier who was later called to testify before the ECCC as a witness. Although he initially believed in Angkar’s promises of equality, he was eventually sent to the Kompong Chhnang Airfield after being accused of treason.
In 2015, HIM Han testified as a witness before the ECCC about his experience at the Kompong Chhnang Airfield worksite.
‘’We realized that not many people talk about the Kompong Chhnang Airfield,’’ Chanthida explained. Through ECCC resources, we were able to access vital testimonies. It took us nearly a full semester, about four months of preparation and two months of intense production, to finalize the topic. We rewrote the script through four to five drafts under the guidance of our lecturers before we even touched a microphone.’’
For Chanthida, the careful process of checking court documents and survivor videos taught her an important lesson in journalism.
‘’It taught me to be patient,’’ she said. ‘’To truly understand a survivor’s story, you have to read, listen, and immerse yourself in the surrounding context to narrate it respectfully.’’
Targeting the Forgotten Victims
That Molyka, another year 3 student, took on the role of producer for Episode 8, ‘’Becoming Neang Bodacha.’’ Her episode follows the life of PO Dina, the wife of a Khmer Republic soldier, a group heavily targeted by the regime.
Molyka’s team used an all-seeing eye in their poster to show Angkar’s surveillance. This was done to reflect the fear PO Dina felt as she was followed from Phnom Penh to Pursat, where her husband was taken away.
‘’We chose her story to show the mistreatment of the families left behind,’’ Molyka explained. She added that using official ECCC documents kept the history accurate. ‘’We want to use podcasting to connect today’s youth with the past so they can treat this as a real historical record for themselves.’’
A Leap Forward in Multimedia Education
DMC alumni who attended the launch praised the high production value and strong research of the Krahaam Podcast project.
Leng Len, a batch 10 DMC alumna who now works as an independent documentary video producer, reflected on how much the department’s practical curriculum has evolved over the years.
‘’Back in my third year, around 2013, during the national elections, we didn’t have podcasts,’’ Len recalled. We only produced short 3 to 5-minute radio reports.
Multimedia projects combining videos, writing, and magazines were reserved for Year 4.
Len expressed immense praise for her juniors after discussing the episode ‘’Khmer Rouge: The Three Days Lie’’ with student producer Ny Chanvatey.
‘’I am truly impressed by their professionalism, the dept of their content, and the high quality of their storytelling and visual posters,’’ Len remarked. ‘’Digging through the ECCC archives is an incredible amount of work. I congratulate them, as well as Mrs. Nov Povleakhena and Ms. Hean Socheata, for their guidance on achieving such high production standards. This project is vital for creating a transactional understanding of our dark history from one generation to the next.’’
Preserving Memory for the Future
As the event ended, Krahaam Podcast highlighted its purpose to bridge the generational gap and keep history alive. It aims to help young people understand Cambodia’s past, honor survivors, and encourage dialogue about peace and remembrance through accessible storytelling and archival materials.
The ‘’Krahaam Podcast’’ is a result of a student’s work. It shows that when young people are given tools and guidance to explore their history, they can turn words into strong voices that keep the past alive.
Audiences eager to follow this documentary journey can listen to the ‘’KrahaamPodcast’’ via Spotify and YouTube, where the series will release two episodes per week.
