At the Krama Yuyu weaving workshop located in Ta Pouk village near Siem Reap in Cambodia, Chenda Heng, master weaver and manager of the studio, her sister Theary and their weaving team are preparing a seventeen meter-long silk warp to produce a series of multicolored ikat textiles. Chenda and Theary learned the art of silk weaving from their mother in their teenage years in the southern area of Cambodia. At the workshop, they often produce handwoven cotton textiles for an international market and do not have many occasions to weave silk in the traditional way. The Silk Chronicles is a film series in two parts. It was shot in July 2017 and documents the reclaimed practice of Cambodian weft ikat silk weaving.

Preparing the warp is usually the first stage of weaving. The Silk Chronicles: Warp shows the preparation of the black silk warp which will be installed on the loom and become the foundation of the future fabrics to be woven. Following a series of precise and delicate steps, the story reveals a fascinating group dynamics where touching and seeing often surpass verbal communication, and where each weaver plays an essential in the collective project’s success.

Short documentary film
Directed by Magali An Berthon
Edited by Remi Buono
duration 08:08
Ta Pouk, Cambodia
(2017)