From the provinces of Cambodia to the buzzing streets of Sydney, a talented troupe of acrobats and musicians has brought a gravity-defying show to Australian shores. Phare, which means brightness of the arts in Khmer, is a not-for-profit arts and circus school known for pairing daring stunts with powerful story lines.
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00:00 When you think of the circus, clowns and cartwheels might spring to mind.
00:06 But there's something else cooking in this theatre, where the main star of the show is
00:12 rice.
00:13 With jaw-dropping acrobatics, the show uses rice as a metaphor for money and portrays
00:19 how the commodity is integral to Khmer culture.
00:23 White Gold is a story about contemporary Cambodia, which we are taught to live in moderation,
00:29 yet consumerism, capitalism and greed is over-empowering us.
00:36 Each performer has their own story too.
00:39 Performing in Sydney's Seymour Theatre, Sreynut is a far cry from her humble beginnings in
00:43 rural Cambodia.
00:45 Against all odds, she now makes a living out of travelling the world and sharing her talents.
00:51 I want to inspire the younger generation of performers to work hard and see that they
00:56 can be successful and support themselves with a great career in the arts if they don't give
01:02 up.
01:03 It takes hours of practice to put on a show like White Gold.
01:07 The artists, who already have up to 10 years of experience under their belt, rehearse eight
01:12 hours a day, three days a week, with cardio fitness days sprinkled in between.
01:18 There's a lot at stake, so perfecting the high-risk stunts is crucial, and even harder for performers
01:24 like Gol, who is deaf.
01:26 The additional communication barrier has seen him create his own sign language to talk to
01:31 his co-stars and make sure they get the moves right.
01:35 Hearing people and deaf people are the same.
01:38 We are as equals.
01:40 I work with hearing people and we discuss, brainstorm and develop concepts together.
01:46 We share ideas equally.
01:47 It's not just acrobats that tour with the troupe.
01:50 Artists play a live soundtrack at every show to ensure that the music is perfectly timed
01:56 to the tricks.
01:57 (bubbles popping)
02:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]