Co-written, directed by, and starring Matt Dillon, City of Ghosts (2002) is a taut, atmospheric neo-noir crime thriller set against the sun-bleached grit and shadowy underworld of turn-of-the-millennium Cambodia.
The film follows Jimmy (Dillon), a New York con man on the run after an insurance scam falls apart back home. Tracking down his charismatic mentor Marvin (James Caan) to Phnom Penh, Jimmy quickly finds himself entangled in a murky web of betrayal, ex-pat desperation, and local corruption where nobody’s motives are clean and the past is never truly buried.
Beyond its suspenseful narrative, the film stands as a cinematic time capsule. Shot almost entirely on location across Phnom Penh, Kampot, and Bokor Hill Station, it captured a rare moment in Cambodian history when foreign cinema was virtually non-existent in the country.
Supported by an incredible ensemble cast including Stellan Skarsgård, Natascha McElhone, Gérard Depardieu, and legendary Cambodian artist Sinn Sisamouth’s haunting music on the soundtrack, Dillon created an unflinching yet deeply respectful visual ode to the raw energy and complex spirit of the Kingdom.
There is simply no better film to launch our opening night on Saturday 12 September and Sunday 13 September at 7pm. Screening City of Ghosts on our big screen brings this iconic slice of local cinematic history right back to where it belongs — surrounded by a community of movie lovers celebrating a brand-new home for film. Grab a cold drink, settle into our couches, and join us as we start this new chapter with the ultimate Phnom Penh classic.
United States, Cambodia, 2002
(English, Khmer, French, with English subtitles)
116 minutes
