Roshane Saidnattar was born in Phnom Penh of a Cambodian mother and a father of Indian descent. After living through three successive wars in her country (the U.S. bombing, genocide Khmer rouge and occupation of the Vietnamese army), she then fled Cambodia. At age 13, Roshane arrived in France, the country she has been enjoying freedom and rights to live.

Her desire to speak beyond words has guided her to the profession of filmmaking. Not to forget her origin, she took time to study Ancient Khmer, which encompasses Angkor civilization, at EFEO (French School of Far East) Paris.

In 1991, during her first year of study filmmaking that Roshane began his first job with a film studio in Paris. Since then, she has not ceased expanding her filming experiences while working as assistant director and as a journalist-columnist for Radio France Internationale on Cambodia.

In 1998, after graduating from filmmaking school, she returned to live in her native country, believing that she will never leave her again. There, she began working as a journalist on local television, TVK. She then realized that her country has not yet found political stability as she had thought.

Roshane therefore decided to return to France to find freedom and means to make films about Cambodia, the country she loves and will remain connected forever.

Since then, she has made three documentaries and one short film. “L’Important, c’est de Rester Vivant” or « Survive » is her first feature film, wich has received the Public Awards as the Best Documentary Film at World Films Festival in Montreal 2009.

In addition to her work as a filmmakers, she manages an association of traditional dance, ACAC (Association for Conservation of Arts and Culture), with faculties of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh for the benefit of street children of Cambodia.
 

"My mother said: Work hard. Always harder than the others. Put up with all the hurt they inflict. What matters is to stay alive." SURVIVE, in the Khmer Rouge regim.

 

PROFESSIONNAL EXPERIENCES

Film Director:    

- « SURVIVE, In the Heart of the Khmer Rouge Madness», PMP. France, 2009.

- « The shooting stars ». Documentary, 12 min.  Indravati Production, 2005.

- "Eclair et Religieuse". Short feature film, 10 min. 2004.

- « The tears of Khmer Artits ». Documentary, 26 min. Félis Léo Productions, 2003.

- « Wild life protection in Cambodia », 30 min. Universal Studio, 2003.

- « The Sabar Dance ». South Vision Productions. Senegal, 1995.

Unit Publicist Assistant:        

- 2002-2003. Universal Studio for "Two Brothers" by Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Journalist of Radio:  

- 1997-2000. R.F.I. (French International Radio). In Khmer language.

Magazine: "Report" and "Cambodian Culture"

Journalist of Television:        

1999 CFI / TVK. News in French laguage. Cambodia

Assistant to Director :        

1994 to 1998:                                                                                                                          

Feature films:

"White Night", by Mama Keita. France.                                                                            

"An evening after the war", by Rithy PANH. France.

« Angkor relives » (About Ramayana Festival), by Patrick Bernad. France.

« The Indochina People » (About ethnic minority), by Patrick Bernard. France.                              

Documentaries films:

"The King Jayavarman II spirit" TV5/CNRS

"The small shadow theatre of Siem Reap "

"The Khmer kite"

"The miraculous fishing of Tonlé Sap"

"The Gourou, Khmer medium".                                                                                                                   

Institutional films:

"Objectif zero accident"                                                                                                              

"The visit of the nuclear thermal power station of Paluel"                                                        

"The final fruit-loft of Havre".

Photographer:                                                                                                               

Book "The Indochina People" and The documentary film Cover.

 

STUDIES     

- Film editing and photography directing studies. Camera Scola. Paris (France).

- Film directing studies. CFEPF. Paris (France).

- Master of Cinematography and of Audiovisual Studies. University of Paris VIII. France.                                                                                                                                       

- Studies of the Old Khmer Inscription. Ecole Française d'Extrême Orient. Paris (France)