Kalyanee Mam — A Global Initiatives Program Event

Last Monday, I had the pleasure to host a GIP event with another fellow student, Victor Swezey. We had the honor of welcoming back to Poly a phenomenally talented filmmaker and journalist, a master storyteller, and a trailblazer in environmental activism, Ms. Kalyanee Mam. Ms. Mam showed her new documentary, Lost World where the film followed one fisherwoman in Cambodia’s ancient mangrove forest, the only home she has ever known and how Cambodian companies were dredging sand from the islands and selling it to Singapore to expand its land mass. I found her documentary to very eye-opening and heartbreaking as the fisherwoman was gradually losing her home’s resources and location as boats constantly dredged sand from the island. Hearing such a powerful story made me recognize the realities of development and globalization and their profound effects on the lives of those often overlooked in the process.

After the documentary, she then transitioned her talk to an open discussion where she could better understand people’s idea of “home” as well as answer any lingering thoughts or questions about her documentary. It was really interesting to listen to others share their personal experience as what home was and what it meant to them. Despite the varying perspectives of what “home” entailed, Ms. Mam was able to understand each unique perspective and create a really compelling connection to the documentary. The way she was able to bridge our differences and find similarities in stories was something I found truly amazing.

Overall, I found the stunning cinematography by the documentary and Ms. Mam’s persistent investigative journalism on ignored issues to be very profound. Through her work, she continually raises awareness of some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time and brings to life the stories of those who do not have a platform to voice their experiences.