The 1979 movie about the life of Christ is the most translated film in history.
Sat, Dec. 01, 2007
BY MARY JORDAN
Washington Post
RONG DOMRIEX, Cambodia - Elijah Lok zoomed down dirt paths across rice paddies to the village of Trapain Ampil in the Cambodian hinterlands far to the north of Rong Domriex with the "Jesus" film strapped to his motorbike.
Tonight, as on most nights, Lok would be showing this two-hour movie about the life of Jesus, the most translated movie in history. He pulled two 16 mm reels out of a metal carrier box, a big blue umbrella protecting them from monsoon-like rain.
Two other members of his team lugged a giant white screen, two loudspeakers and a generator-powered projector into this village with no electricity.
When the downpour eased, 70 people stood barefoot amid the muddy puddles and watched the story of Jesus told in Khmer. For most of the villagers, who live here in shacks built on stilts to protect against flooding, it was the first movie they had ever seen.
And in this nation where 90 percent of people are Buddhist, the villagers were familiar with Buddha and karma but not Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Originally released by Warner Bros. in 1979 for U.S. audiences, the "Jesus" film has been translated into more than 1,000 languages, with the voices of local actors dubbed over the originals. It has just been completed in Cham, which is spoken by several hundred thousand Muslims in Cambodia.
As Lok cranked up the projector, the film's soundtrack drowned out the sound of Buddhist monks chanting in a nearby temple.
"The Gospel has done so much for me and my family," said Lok, 26, who often sleeps in a hammock he carries with him from village to village.
Lok said he has found peace and contentment in his religion, but not everyone is receptive to his work. Some complain that Christianity is a foreigner's faith, an unwanted import from the West. Some take offense at the notion of Christians preaching to Buddhists.
"In some villages, drunks have beaten our staff," Lok said. "Sometimes people take slingshots and hit the screen."
But this night, children and adults were transfixed by scenes of the birth of Jesus in a stable and of him telling people to be like the Good Samaritan and help those in need. Some cried softly at the vivid crucifixion scene and began asking questions about his empty tomb and talk of him rising from the dead.
When the film ended, several people gathered to ask Lok questions.
"I would like to hear more about Jesus," said Heat Chean, 30, a farmer who held his infant daughter in his arms. "I'm a Buddhist, but Christians are good, too."
Sat, Dec. 01, 2007
BY MARY JORDAN
Washington Post
RONG DOMRIEX, Cambodia - Elijah Lok zoomed down dirt paths across rice paddies to the village of Trapain Ampil in the Cambodian hinterlands far to the north of Rong Domriex with the "Jesus" film strapped to his motorbike.
Tonight, as on most nights, Lok would be showing this two-hour movie about the life of Jesus, the most translated movie in history. He pulled two 16 mm reels out of a metal carrier box, a big blue umbrella protecting them from monsoon-like rain.
Two other members of his team lugged a giant white screen, two loudspeakers and a generator-powered projector into this village with no electricity.
When the downpour eased, 70 people stood barefoot amid the muddy puddles and watched the story of Jesus told in Khmer. For most of the villagers, who live here in shacks built on stilts to protect against flooding, it was the first movie they had ever seen.
And in this nation where 90 percent of people are Buddhist, the villagers were familiar with Buddha and karma but not Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Originally released by Warner Bros. in 1979 for U.S. audiences, the "Jesus" film has been translated into more than 1,000 languages, with the voices of local actors dubbed over the originals. It has just been completed in Cham, which is spoken by several hundred thousand Muslims in Cambodia.
As Lok cranked up the projector, the film's soundtrack drowned out the sound of Buddhist monks chanting in a nearby temple.
"The Gospel has done so much for me and my family," said Lok, 26, who often sleeps in a hammock he carries with him from village to village.
Lok said he has found peace and contentment in his religion, but not everyone is receptive to his work. Some complain that Christianity is a foreigner's faith, an unwanted import from the West. Some take offense at the notion of Christians preaching to Buddhists.
"In some villages, drunks have beaten our staff," Lok said. "Sometimes people take slingshots and hit the screen."
But this night, children and adults were transfixed by scenes of the birth of Jesus in a stable and of him telling people to be like the Good Samaritan and help those in need. Some cried softly at the vivid crucifixion scene and began asking questions about his empty tomb and talk of him rising from the dead.
When the film ended, several people gathered to ask Lok questions.
"I would like to hear more about Jesus," said Heat Chean, 30, a farmer who held his infant daughter in his arms. "I'm a Buddhist, but Christians are good, too."
9 comments:
The Christian invasion and expansion must be stopped. We don't need any help in religion. It will not do us any good but to upset all other religions in the country and causing instability.
i agree, christianity is one of the most corrupt religions, like islam, dunno wtf they want to convert people for, we're too poor to contribute to their gay ass church.
on the flip side, if it makes someone happy go for it, just don't try to convert people who are less fortunate than you are with bribes of food money clothing etc, just to have them sit and watch this crap.
then again they're coming after buddhists, and buddhists or places of religion/philosophy(in asia it's a mix) have always had education and been the places for the beginning of revolutions, that's why the commies meddle in Buddhist affairs.
Don't be silly, 9:13. The commies have better things to do than to meddle with Buddhist's affair. There is no benefit for them to do that. However, they will meddle with anything, religious or not, that they are suspected of spying on them or trying to uprise against them.
Christian has imperialistic idea to dominate other nation.
They are so aggressive and arrogant.
They are using money to sell and buy faith to Cambodian poor people. They are exploiting Cambodian poor as same as Hun Sen's leadership style.
come on brother, all of you are no
brainer that why cambodian going
no where, tast to see if it is good, just to tell you the true that all that monk are lazy ass,
just pretain to be good and eat
free and sleep during the day and
go to the movies, bar or looking for girl at nigh, believe me.
12:36pM aND YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER WAS FUCKING A MONKEY TO BRING YOU OUT! yOU MOTHERFUCKER!
Some people say christianity are bad and other say are good,Is that all religions serve the same purpose of good and evil?.
I belive doesn't matter if you are christians or buddhis, During that time the Buddhis gave the disciple a final opportunity to clear any doubts anyone had,about the doctrine.
But, no one had any doubt whatsoever,
That's last time Buddha address all his disciple.
Buddha final words"Everthing in the world is IMPERMANENT, Do not crave for impermanent things, Do not delay" Then Buddha Entered into Deep Meditation.
JESUS said" with GOD all thing are possible".
During that time; Jesus said to his disciples "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of GOD.
I believe all religions try teach all the people around the world to LOVE each other and understand between good and evil.
"just the reminder i'm not politician party just a simple cambodian person,that love his country and his people".
thank you 2:49am, Just to remind
the 4 fooler above that the 4 of
you are not real khmer, if you are
real khmer you will know that budha
are not khmer religeous budha are
invade cambodia between 7-11 centuries. Our khmers ancester are
worship the creator of the univers
becaus when they have free time they allway invide each other the
forest to celebrate together to thanks the creator for peace and
the LORD IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERS.
11:30pm, I truly believe that you are came from monkey becouse you have monkey brain(non-educated)
Post a Comment