Saturday, January 12, 2013 - At the break of dawn, our protagonist must leave her house, which is situated in a better part of Poipet, to get to the market on the Thailand side as soon as the border opens up. Along with her, hordes of merchants shove their old wooden wagons over the border to earn a few pennies on the other side. It is obvious that on entering Cambodia, we have crossed a border of prosperity.
We drive on to Siem Reap, the next bigger city, right next to the famous temple of Angkor Wat.

Sunday, January 13, 2013 - We spend the entire day in the temple of Angkor Wat. That isn't a lot of time, considering that the former governance of the Khmer covers an area of over 20 square kilometres. 800 years ago, the dynasty ruled over one of the most astonishing advanced civilizations of the world. More than one million people used to live in the agglomeration area of Angkor, which was the New York of the 12th and 13th century. At that time, Berlin was just being founded. To this day, Angkor Wat is a national holy site. Despite of all of the tragic abasement the Cambodian people have had to face, they still proudly define themselves as the "children of Angkor". Nowadays, the temples are also honoured by Buddhists, even though the primary rulers were Hindu. We encounter a young monk in the middle of the tropical forest of the Temple of Angkor. We follow his very strict and ceremonial daily routine. He talks about his way to Buddha. At sunset we take aerial shots and view Angkor, the sunken world of wonder embedded in the vast landscape, one last time.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - We leave Siem Reap right after breakfast and head for Phnom Penh, straight through on one of the few national routes. Again, we are surprised to find the roads in such good shape. Much has been invested in infrastructure in the last ten years. The elementary schools all close at 11 a.m. before the burning midday heat begins. Thousands of students are then seen on the streets, mostly with bicycles, all wearing blue-white school uniforms. So many great motives have caught our eye so that we do not reach Phnom Penh until the evening hours.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - We drive to the Mekong in the early morning light, where we are to meet a fisherman. Unfortunately, he is not there, and his mobile doesn't seem to be turned on. ... But a small boat, a kind of "floating kiosk", catches our eye. A woman and her daughter are floating about, selling goods to the people on the tied up boats; cold beverages, wine gums, mostly coffee, she sells everything. This is a great opportunity to portrait everyday life on the Mekong.

Thursday, January 17, 2013 - In the afternoon we shoot in Phnom Penh. The city populating two million people is still influenced by the French, despite of all of its historical upheavals.

It is hard to imagine that the town was almost empty during the time of Pol Pot's insane dictatorship. Any kind of private amusement was punished with the death penalty. Nowadays, you can buy fresh baguettes almost everywhere, sit in street cafés, or stroll along the boardwalk. The best culinary places in town are the so-called "Roof Tops", the rooftop garden restaurants downtown. Nico shows us one of his favourite rooftop restaurants, a place for resting in warm, breezy heights. We haven't eaten so well in a long time...

Friday, January 18, 2013 - Today we say goodbye to Cambodia. It has been a week full of unforgettable impressions. Nico was a great escort; his knowledge of the country and its people has inspired us, thank you, once more. We drive along the Mekong, 100 kilometres away from the border we take the ferry over the vast river. At the border we must deal with formalities before we can greet our new producers! Tram and Lan will accompany us from now on. After dark, we reach our hotel in Ti Xa, the capitol of the province of Tay Ninh.

Saturday, January 19, 2013 - The religious centre of South Vietnam is Cao Dai. It is a religious community combining Buddhism, Hinduism, and Catholicism. From the outside, the temple looks like a Catholic church under the influence of drugs. Inside, it looks even more peculiar, like a mixture of a snake temple and a Jules Verne space ship. We meet the temple masters, very impressive men living in asceticism. In the afternoon we shoot landscapes. Our escort tells us that this was one of the worst combat zones during the Vietnam War. The defoliants used by the US-Americans have harmed the landscape and the people to this day. It will take decades until the reforestation is completed. From a hilltop we can see the countryside. It is unimaginable that this is the place where all those horrid scenes of the Vietnam War took place.

Sunday, January 20, 2013 - Today is our day off. We are looking for relaxation in Tay Ninh, which will happen thanks to the Vietnamese cuisine. In small restaurants with roofs you find all that you desire, ranging from soup with duck eggs to breaded frog legs. All is delicious and easily digestible.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - Today we are shooting in the city the entire day. Our escorts tell us that the city has virtually boomed in the last few years. The population is growing exponentially, Saigon is a true boomtown. The middle and upper class is growing accordingly, so the city centre looks pretty much like every other centre in the world's major cities. You find one shopping centre after the other, including all exclusive brands, ranging from Chanel to Prada. There are also many coffee shops, the first Starbucks shop is to open in February. Still, Ho-Chi-Minh City has been able to sustain its unique charm. The people practically live on the streets, you find rows of cookshops, there is busy trading and constructions everywhere. And all around, you will find friendly people.

Thursday, January 24, 2013 - Mai Thanh. The entire day is reserved for a story about one of the most successful women in Vietnam. Mai Than is over 60 years old, she was a paramedic during the Vietnam War and studied refrigeration engineering in the German Democratic Republic. Today she runs an empire making billions. It is a conglomerate active in the markets of real estate, finances and energy. Mai Thanh is a high-powered career woman making her way in a man's world.

Despite all of her success in the modern business world, she has never forgotten where she comes from. The wounds of the war are still open, nothing is more important to her than a country living in peace. She wants to teach the young people especially one thing: There are things far more important than material wealth. We escort Mai Thanh to the airport in her limousine. Her next appointment is in the capitol of Hanoi in the evening, up North...

Saturday, January 26, 2013 - Today we have a day off. In the evening we pick up our author and director for the next two episodes of farEAST from the airport. Starting tomorrow, Christian Klemke will take over. Good luck to him and the entire team!!!