TITLE: Cham Community

The banks of the Chroy Changva peninsula in Phnom Penh, where the Tonlé Sap and Mekong rivers merge, is home to a community of around 300 families who live on fishing boats in extremely precarious conditions. Many of the boat dwellers are members of the Cham, a predominantly Muslim minority that has its own language and history and is distinct from the Khmer people. With fishing as their main source of income, the families have lived on the river for generations.
The authorities have repeatedly ordered them to leave their riverside dwellings. Since 2012, the boats have been moored in the shadow of the $100-million Sokha Hotel. Selling fish has become difficult because the marketplace is so far away. Furthermore, the owner of the Sokha Hotel, are forcing the community to move off the narrow strip of land where their boats are anchored.
Steff Gruber’s documentation of the lives of the Cham Communites is part of an ongoing long-term project on the landless poor communities in Cambodia.

AUTHOR: Steff Gruber (Switzerland)

Steff Gruber (1953) is a Swiss photographer and filmmaker. He worked as a press photographer for Keystone Press and was one of the first filmmakers to deal with the docudrama genre. He became internationally known with his documentary LOCATION AFRICA, about the shooting of Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski for the film COBRA VERDE. His award-winning films were shown at various international film festivals.
Based on his interest in documentaries, Gruber began shooting photo stories in various countries that focused, in particular, on human interest subjects and humanist concerns. He produced many of his photo series over a period of several years, visiting places and people on repeated occasions.
In April 2020 Steff Gruber opened the Lumiere.Gallery with the aim of offering photographers a platform through digital photo exhibitions.
Steff Gruber is a member of the Swiss Association of Journalists and Photographers IMPRESSUM.