Coronavirus brings curtain down on Cambodia shadow puppets
Curtain call on Cambodia's shadow puppets
Puppet master Mann Kosal's troupe survived
Location: Phnom Penh
local interest dwindling over the years
But with bans on travel and gatherings
it has also lost its foreign audience
Now Kosal has to pack up the theater
as the government is taking over the company
to ensure the survival of the ancient art
(SOUNDBITE) (Khmer) CAMBODIAN SHADOW PUPPET MASTER, MANN KOSAL, SAYING:"I think about the 26 years period that I've worked here, and I love this art. How can I take it out of my heart and when would I be able to forget it? That was what I thought (to myself) when I posted my message on Facebook. But now I feel relieved that the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts accepted our request and gave us the solution."
Courtesy: Sovana Phum Theater Organization
Shadow puppets date back to the 7th century
It was named a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2005
with only five troupes remaining in the country