OSI-Supported Film Documents Harm Reduction in Cambodia

Korsang is a documentary film that takes place on the mean streets of Phnom Penh, chronicling the work of the harm reduction organization Korsang.

Korsang (Khmer for “to rebuild”) was founded in 2005 by Holly Bradford and a group of 13 Cambodian American deportees—former gang members deported back to Cambodia for crimes they committed in the United States. Since its inception, the organization has grown to 30 fulltime staff and 27 peer educators.

The film tells the stories of the day-to-day life-and-death struggles of  homeless street addicts, as the Korsang staff work to save the lives of people nobody else cares about. The film documents how the staff helps others as they help themselves rebuild their lives in meaningful and positive ways.

“It is my hope the finished film will focus attention on the issues of harm reduction as a productive and preventative measure in stemming the tide of HIV/AIDS as well as advocate for the human rights of drug users so that they are treated with more compassion, dignity and respect," says director David Eberhardt. "I would also like the film to provoke a discussion of United States deportation policies.”

After two and a half years of shooting on location in Phnom Penh, Eberhardt has returned to the United States and begun editing Korsang.

To find out more about Korsang, please visit the website: www.korsangfilm.com.

The film is supported in part by the Open Society Institute Global Drug Policy Program.