“KARMALINK” (2021) Q&A with Director Jake Wachtel

Abstract

Q&A with director Jake Wachtel of the family mystery-adventure film “Karmalink.” Shot on location in the Khmer language with English subtitles, “Karmalink” tells the tale of a plucky group of kids, from a gentrifying poor neighborhood in Phnom Penh, who try to solve the mystery of a stolen idol. They encounter one tween’s inexplicable visions of Cambodian history, and reincarnation the 21st-century way, in this wryly dystopian story of economic justice. The Q&A will be moderated by IAC Sam Nunn School of International Affairs scholar Dr. Katja Weber, who runs GT’s study abroad program to Southeast Asia. his year the Global Media Fest will explore United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #16, which states that “conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great threat to sustainable development.” (United Nations)