April 23, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dawn Newell - (310) 247-3090  

Cambodian Film Memorabilia Donated to Academy Library

Beverly Hills, CA - A collection of Cambodian film memorabilia, from films produced by the King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk, recently was donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive.

Ambassador Fernando Gelbard; Linda Mehr, director of Margaret Herrick Library; Scott Rosenberg; and Fritz Herzog, curator of the Academy's Center for Motion Picture Study, display pieces of the Cambodian film memorabilia that Gelbard and Rosenburg donated to the Academy's Library and Film Archive.

The materials include videos, screenplays, photographs and music from films such as "Adieu Mon Amour," "An Ambition Reduced to Ashes" and "Fatalité," all produced and or directed by King Sihanouk.

Former Argentine Ambassador to France and current Beverly Hills businessman Fernando Gelbard and Scott Rosenberg, a Bangkok-based businessman and journalist who covers the Southeast Asian film industry, donated the items with permission from the king.

"The films of King Sihanouk focus on the country of Cambodia by showcasing its history, people and culture," said Library Director Linda Mehr. "It's a wonderful service to the film industry and to the country of Cambodia that we are able to preserve this piece of their history through film."

"Since King Sihanouk's ascension to the throne in 1941, he has been the greatest promoter of Cambodian arts," said Cambodian Ambassador to the United States Roland Eng. "The Cambodian people are thankful to the Academy's prestigious Margaret Herrick Library and the Academy Film Archive for preserving a place, in perpetuity, for this slice of Khmer film history and culture."

Among other items donated are personal letters and correspondence from King Sihanouk to Gelbard and Rosenberg, who have both been honored by King Sihanouk for their service in promotion of the arts and culture of the Kingdom of Cambodia.