This Czech-Cambodian romantic drama from 1987 belongs among those eighties co-productions that stemmed from cultural activities agreed with “friendly regimes” of the time. Its main character is Czech doctor Tomáš, who is searching for his lost wife Khema in 1979 Cambodia. After arriving in the exotic but troubled country in 1969, he had fallen in love with a beautiful dancer despite the will of her parents. However, the happy couple are separated amid a series of coup d'états, leaving Tomáš facing the wreckage of his previous life. The genocide waged against the Cambodian population by the Khmer Rouge government has destroyed everything he has come to know... This unexpectedly dramatic picture from director Milan Muchna (his previous filmography revelled in humour (Hop – a je tu lidoop – Monkey’s Playtime, 1978; Únos Moravanky – The Moravanka Band’s Been Kidnapped, 1983; Divoké pivo – Wild Beer, 1995...)). Milan Kňažko plays the main role, while in the retrospective scenes he is ably supported by Cambodian star Oum Sovanny.
The Czech physician Tomáš searches for his beautiful young wife Khema in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. He was separated from her by the dramatic events, which shattered the country four years ago. Tomáš is shocked at the sight of the ruin of the once flourishing town. - He arrived at the local hospital in 1969 to join other Czech doctors. After a while, he befriends a young dancer and falls in love with her. Khema's parents disagree with the marriage with a man originating from a different culture. Khema's brother, who studied in Paris and turned into a leftist radical there, even threatens to Tomáš. But the wedding eventually occurs and the two young people are happy together. The political conditions in Cambodia, however, change and the government is overthrown. The country faces yet another upheaval in 1975 and gets terrorized by the young Pol Pot army's soldiers. Khema is pregnant and Tomáš is worried about her. He goes to the hospital to help evacuate the patients. Back home, he does not find his wife, the house has been robbed and the parents murdered. Tomáš the foreigner is deported from the country. Now, he returns to the country where only a minority of people survived the torture and drudgery. Tomáš follows the tracks of his wife who gave birth to a daughter during the deportation. She even met her dying brother who was eventually crushed by the bloody revolution. Tomáš's hopes are not fulfilled completely because Khema died. He, however, succeeds in finding his daughter and takes her to his home country.
The expert consultant Ruy Neakong Ruy is one of only fourteen survivors from the twenty thousand prisoners of the Tuol Slen camp which operated in Phnom Penh between 1975 and 1979. The Museum of Genocide was established there on the 7th of January 1980. The expert consultant Chheng Phon – the director of the Cambodian National Conservatoire and later the Cambodian minister of culture – earned credit for educating the young representatives in the national cultural traditions (theatre, music) because only a few students and ten teachers survived.
Dubbing Taťjana Medvecká
Khema Sun
Dubbing Petr Čepek
lékař Tomáš David, Khemin manžel
Dubbing Václav Kopta
MUDr. Rath Thong
Dubbing Eliška Sirová
tanečnice Thyda, později učitelka
Dubbing Pavel Kříž
Chivan, Khemin bratr
Pon, Khemin druhý manžel
Dubbing Bedřich Šetena
primář docent Samek
MUDr. Dalibor Hrádek
anesteziolog MUDr. Kubeš
gynekolog MUDr. Kalivoda
montér Emil
Dubbing Jiří Zahajský
kapitán Kim
Dubbing Jana Vychodilová
Khemina matka
Dubbing Mirko Musil
Khemin otec
Klára, Tomášova matka
Dubbing Miriam Chytilová
Rany, Khemina sestra
Chanthan
velitel vesnice
Somna
fotograf
Dubbing Dana Syslová
Phana
Dubbing Lucie Nosková
Dara
Klárka, dcera Khemy
Soriya
fotograf
Milan Klacek, Ieu Pannasidh
Chy Sochip, Chuom Vannsin, Hana Suchá, Stanislav Rovný
Milan Lekič, Sem Sary, Tralong Borin
Miloš Červinka, Kong Kanthara
Ivo Černý, Bohumil Kadlec, Uon Nék, Jan Klíma, Jiří Matějka, Karel Karas, Son Sovanvich‰t
Marie Charvátová, Věra Mírová, Iva Bártová, Ke Vanchan, Sok Samat
Jiří Farkaš, Milan Novák, Jitka Procházková, Kim Sokun
Jan Syrový, Ly Dany
Jana Hauserová, Helena Landovská
Václav Šeda, Nang Phanajia
Chheng Phon, Karel Čepička, Pavel Auersperg, Jiří Skřivan, Karel Citterbart, MUDr. Dalibor Hrádek, MUDr. Hanuš Reisinger, Marcela Sainerová, Mao Ayouth, Non Chan, Ruy Neakong
Ruth Kubalíková, Jan Kuděla, Ivana Vlčková, Tep Somaly, Erika Vojáčková, Chloe Younly, Proum Sarmouny, Keo Narét, Long Sávat, Seng Ratha, Khek Chen, Kheiu Sary, Khan Dy, Kvan Thän, Ke Vichet, Tit Thearith, Bun Narei, Aleš Voleman
Ludwig van Beethoven (Pro Elišku /Für Elise/ – klavírní skladba a moll), Johann Sebastian Bach (Toccata a fuga d moll)
Devět kruhů pekla
Devět kruhů pekla
Nine Levels of Hell
Norouk Pramboun Chaon
film
featuretheatrical distribution
drama
Czechoslovakia, Cambodia
1987
1986—1987
literary Screenplay approved 12 February 1986
start of filming 1 May 1986
technical Screenplay approved 9 July 1986
end of filming 4 September 1987
projection approval 28 September 1987
gala premiere 14 April 1988 (kino Sevastopol, Praha)
distribution premiere 1 July 1988
feature film
127 min
3 621 meters
35mm
Czech