Followinghermother’sdeath,mangaartistSoriyatravelstoherancestralhomeinPhnomPenh,withhopesofreconnectingwithherdistantfamilyandusingthevisitasinspirationforherworkAllgoeswellinitiallyRentinganapartmentinMetta,arundownKhmerRougeerahousingcomplex,hervisittohermaternalrelativesfindsherwelcomedwithopenarmsButSoriya’swakinghoursintheapartmentanditssurroundingsarepunctuatedbyterrifying,bloodyvisions,almostasthoughshewereaconduitforhorrorsofthepastwantingtoseepintothepresentInrasothythepNethandSokyouChea’sbloodchillingpsychologicalhorrorexploresapersonalandpoliticalpastthroughthepresent,transformingacharacterfulspaceintoaninsidiousenvironmentSurroundedbymodernhighrises,thisdecrepitstructure,withitsbrutalistarchitectureandpeelingsurfaces,isarelicfromadarkperiodinhistorywhosepainfulmemoriesithasabsorbedIntracingSoriya’sominousjourneybacktoherroots,TenementhintsatanecessaryreckoningwithCambodia’spoliticalpastwithoutoverplayingitshistoricaldimensionIt’sanimpressiveworkfromawoefullyunderrepresentednationalcinema
