this building was once used as a sound stage.

>> translator: we filmed scenes like people flying through the air, against a blue screen. the actors would perform in front of the screen. we would shoot and then combine their movements with backgrounds, such as the sky, for instance. which we would edit in during the post production process. this is a film made in cambodia, roughly half a century ago. at the time, these special effects were

in the 1960s, cambodia was a thriving and prosperous country. at the time more than 3 million tons of rice was produced annually, making cambodia one of the leading rice exporting nations alongside thailand and vietnam. in cinemas, domestic movies shared the screens with foreign titles, and both from enjoyed by the public. during the '60s, more than 300 movies were made in cambodia. today, steps are being taken to find and preserve the country's cinematic series. film screenings are held regularly.

>> during the 1960s, the arts, including music, cinema and architecture, flourished in cambodia. it was a very creative time, and we must learn from that era, to create an artistic future for our country. >> movement and dialogue will make you more expressive. >> this drama teacher was a major movie star during the golden age of cambodia cinema. >> i want to teach young people about cambodian arts in the 1960s through these workshops.

>> in this episode of asia insight, we follow the he have are the t -- efforts for a new culture in the future. the audio visual resource center. >> this is our viewing room. we use computers to watch visual materials, and that includes the films and archive footage stored at our center. visitors are welcome to use these facilities free of charge. and browse at their leisure.

>> the center was set up in 2006, three audio visual materials, including films, audio recordings from cambodia's history. the first facility of its kind in the country. >> translator: this is a propaganda film from the pol pot era. as you the films from this period were silent. this particular film is called damn of may 20th. and it traces the construction of a dam. it looks like everybody is enjoying their work. but that's not how it was at

all. >> the center was founded by cambodian film director, rithy panh, who won a price at the film festival in 2013. the film combines footage of the pol pot era with his own experiences through the use of figurines. the figurines were made from cambodian clay, in memory of those who lost their lives under the pol pot regime. this scene depicts the making of a movie, something he often witnessed first hand during his

childhood. he was born here in 1964. he was 11 years old when the pol pot regime came to power. his mother and father were sent to labor camps, where they both died. he was committed to a child's labor camp, but escaped to thailand. while in paris, he attended film school. in 1999, he released a documentary about the life of cambodian people in refugee camps. since then, he has produced a number films on the subject of the pol pot

>> translator: i believe that knowing where we came from, who we are, and what happened to our families during the pol pot era is extremely important. visual images help us define the appropriate words to express ourselves. for example, if you take a look at movies produced by the pol pot regime, you can easily understand what kind of places the labor camps were. and what kind of manual work those confined there were forced to undertake. i think it is necessary to show young people something that they cannot gain from books alone. as they now have easy access to mobile phones and computers, visual images impact them more.

i want them to deepen their understanding of history. that's why i decided to set up this center. >> he is particularly interested in the films made in cambodia in the 1960s. in just over ten years, more than 300 films were produced. many of them were extremely creative and span a wide range of genres, including horror. the 60s was a peaceful and pros prous time for the people of cambodia and much progress was seen, such as cinema, music and architecture. the people of that era had vivid

imaginations which inspired them to create. we refer to this time as the golden age. but it's not just something of the past. we must recapture that spirit again. we should look back on that period as a time of great happiness. we need to experience a new golden age. in that sense, the creativity of the 1960s means a lot to our generation. i want to learn from those energetic artists of the past and create a new era for art in cambodia. >> films from the 1960s are difficult to come buy and the center has so far only managed to collect 36 out of the 300 or so produced at the time. most of them were discovered in france. once every two weeks, staff from the center visit the film

section of the ministry of culture and fine arts. around 3,000 films are stored here. but with no organized records, what these reels contain remains a each time they visit, the staff take home about 40 reels of film to check their condition, and

content. upon arrival at the center, each canister is m canister meticiously examined. the work is done by hand. it takes an entire day to check two halfway through the process, the film emergency measures are

the film is warped and scratched in places. its condition isn't good enough to run through a projector. photographs some of the frames that might potential ee identify the film, and sends them to the archivist. he checks the 30 or so frames she has

she recognizes a flag in the background. it's the national flag of the people's republic, a defacto state founded in 1979. a separate frame refers to victory day on january 7th. it was the day liberated from pol pot's rule. the film is a record of the celebrations, marking the anniversary of the people's liberation. as well as checking the reels, ideally, the staff want to restore the damage film, but the

center lacks the this is the town of someone who lives here played a big part in the golden age of cambodian 73-year-o 73-year-old bun yin lee, one of the best known directors,

responsible for creative films that featured traditions and folklore. >> translator: at the time, i entered some of my photos into an american photographic contest. and i won. with my prize money, i went to hong kong. i booked myself into a hotel for a couple of weeks. i traveled all over hong kong, and bought many things. while i was there, i happened to come across a movie camera. it was an excellent model, with great features. i was drawn to it. as i had the money for it, i decided to purchase the camera, and enough film to shoot a movie. i spent everything i had in hong kong. and returned soon after to cambodia. as soon as i got back home, i set about producing a film.

i began by looking for actors. although there were no film schools in cambodia at the time, many young people wanted to act in the film. about 30 people applied. i met every applicant, and auditioned them personally. but because no one had any training, no one could act properly. of course, i had to hire someone. or else i wouldn't be able to make a movie. so in the end, i decided to give them all a job. >> this is the 12 sisters, a film he produced in 1968. it features a number of handmade special effects.

the movie's hero is a brave young prince. the prince confronts a giant, who ais attacking and eating th villages. during the climax of the film, the giant transforms into a woman, creeps inside the palace, and attempts to destroy it. the prince employs a myth cal

fruit to drive the giant at the time, the only movie theaters found in cambodia were here. he decided to travel to the regions and screen his films himself. >> translator: i held screenings of my film in the countryside. and everyone was delighted to see them. in fact, they were so impatient to watch the movies, people would ask me to hurry up. i used to hold screenings all over the place, so i was hardly a ever at home. back then, many cambodians practiced buddhaism. it teaches the concept of karma, which means that if you do something bad, you must suffer

the consequences. because of this belief, everyone helped each other. in those days, nobody ever committed murder or stole anything. >> he shows us the sutudio he lived, not far from where he lives. >> translator: we would film scenes like people flying through the air against a blue screen. >> film directors of 1960s had their own studios and dedicated staff to make their movies. he made 20 years during the golden age of cinema. in the studio next door, a poster for the 12 sisters is

displayed on the wall. after the establishment of the pol pot regime in 1975, lee left the country, fearing for his life. >> translator: i survived because i was well-known. one day, represents of pol pot's regime came to me and said they wanted to borrow some of my films. i wondered what they wanted to do with them. i didn't want to lend out my precious films to people like

them. so i said that i didn't have the movies with me at that moment, and that i would hand them over the next time they came to see me. i asked them to give me a ride. i told them i wanted to visit some relatives in thailand. they gave me a ride without any trouble. eventually, i was able to escape from cambodia. >> he went on to live in france for 18 years. he stayed there long after the collapse of the pol pot regime, because cambodia remained in a state of civil war and confusion. he couldn't return until 1993. when he did, he found some of his movies, still intact at

home. >> translator: this is 35 millimeters film. as it has been in storage for a long time, the condition of the film is terrible. >> he doesn't know what is on these reels of film. but for him, they still hold great movie screenings are held here at the center every saturday. today, he is taking part. >> translator: thanks to everyone for taking the time to come here today.

we are lucky to on joined by mr. lee, one of the leading directors of the golden age of cinema. the film we are going to watch today is the 12 sisters, a movie that he produced in 1968. >> 100 people have gathered to watch. after the screening, he holds a q & a session.

>> translator: i really liked it. it was a great movie. what was the most difficult thing about making it? >> translator: it was a real challenge to make this movie. when we filmed it, we actually had to build a lot of equipment ourselves. for instance, we processed iron to build a machine that would pull the ground apart. a special effect that was needed for a particular scene in the movie. the film as a whole would not have been as exciting without the scene where the ground split open in such a convincing manner. i wanted the audience to believe that what they were seeing on the screen was happening for real. i will not give up until i've achieved something that i'm satisfied with. so i believe i've always been successful in accomplishing what i set out to do.

>> translator: can you tell me why you decided to make this movie? i would also like to know, what do you want to communicate to the younger generation? >> translator: when i make a movie, i first consider what i want to convey and then i think of the best story to achieve that. i have believed in buddhaism since i was a young boy. in fact, i trained at a temple when i was young, and i was a practicing buddhist monk. even today, my faith is still very strong. i've always followed the teachings of buddhaism. through them, i've learned the importance of putting the needs of other people before my own. we should never steal or deceive. always be considerate.

living a good and honest life, you can achieve happiness. thank you very much. [ applause [ applause ] >> translator: i'm delighted by the interest in my work. it's been 50 years since i made this film. and the picture quality is poor. so i want to restore it with modern technology. >> the 1960s was a golden age for cambodia cinema. the work to carry on that legacy will have to continue.

"newsline." it is thursday, april 14th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. the ruling party in south korea set to lose the majority following the election. a big blow for the president remaining two years in office and the party's prospects for the 2017 presidential vote. kbs reported early thursday that expected to take 121 out of 300 seats in the parliament. that's down by 25 seats from its preelection strength. >> translator: there will be no