Talking to the Trees

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Talking to the Trees

original title:

Talking to the Trees

directed by:

cast:

Ilaria Borrelli, Philippe Caroit, Setha Moniroth, Yang Sreypich, Kiri Sovann, Sen Somnag, Yan Vitheary, Vanyoth Lay

cinematography:

editing:

producer:

country:

Italy

year:

2012

film run:

90'

format:

colour

release date:

17/11/2016

festivals & awards:

Mia (Ilaria Borrelli) a beautiful and successful Paris based photographer, bored by her bourgeois existence, flies out to Cambodia to surprise her timber trader husband Xavier (Philippe Caroit) in order for them to create the baby she longs for.
On arrival, Mia misses Xavier at the hotel. Seeing him being driven down the road, she quickly follows. But her hope for a romantic welcome are dashed when she finds herself in seedy part of town and spies her husband in a brothel having sex with an eleven year-old girl, Srey. Stunned, Mia collapses in a state of shock.
Mia, her world now turned upside down, resolves to rescue Srey and return her to her remote village and the family from whom she was abducted. With insufficient cash to buy Srey’s freedom, Mia strikes a repulsive bargain with Sanan the brothel owner and sacrifices her own body to the General, Sanan’s high-powered client, in order to liberate the little girl.
Xavier, puzzled by Mia disappearance and suspecting she may have relapsed into her past temptation of drugs, calls on the local police to initiate a search.
Mia steals an old truck and she and Srey embark on their long journey home. But soon after Mia discovers that Srey has stowed away Daa and Malin, two other young girls from the brothel. Torn by the sudden additional responsibility, Mia reluctantly agrees to return all three children to their separate villages spread wide across the Cambodian jungle. Realising Mia has taken three girls; an angry Sanan calls on the General to set the police to hunt them down and return them to face his violent retribution.
Fleeing for their lives, the girls embark on a perilous road trip to freedom filled with humour and beauty, but tainted with illness and the constant threat from their pursuers.
Mia and Srey form a tense but loving bond brought about unwittingly by the man they had both known. Each must draw on the other’s strengths and endure rejection to enable both to find peace and sanctuary.