Nothing but Arom

Linguistic and anthropological expedition to the indigenous peoples of Ratanakiri Province in northeastern Cambodia has been ongoing for over a decade. During this time, hundreds of hours of field materials have been recorded in the region's little-studied languages. The film's title emerged during a joint transcription session of one of the recorded narratives. When a particular morpheme resisted analysis, someone proposed: "Maybe there is no meaning here." In response came a playful remark: "There is only feeling (Khmer: arom)." This phrase can be read as a metaphor for the very beginning of fieldwork. A recorded story does not immediately become a text: it is preceded by hours of collaborative transcription, repeated listening sessions with native speakers, and the clarification of word meanings and grammatical forms. “Nothing but Arom” is a film about the researcher's first look at the field, the first acquaintance with the people, their language, traditions, and everyday life.