Jean-Baptiste Phou

Jean-Baptiste Phou was born in 1981 in Paris to Chinese-Cambodian parents. In 2008, he resigned from his position as a financial analyst at a major bank to pursue an artistic career. As an actor, he has performed in plays and musicals in Cambodia, USA and France. His film credits include Rithy Panh’s Oscar-nominated documentary The Missing Picture (2013) and Erick Zonca’s TV movie White Soldier (2014). Phou is the author of the play Cambodia, Here I Am! (2017), performed in French and Khmer. His works explore issues of identity, exile, and the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Since 2017, he has made his home in Phnom Penh where, until late 2020, he headed Creative Programs for the NGO Cambodian Living Arts.