Tontine | តុងទីន
When you can’t trust banks, sometimes the only place you can turn to are your people.
written by soun oeng
directed by rebecca murga
An immigrant Cambodian woman tries to save her insolvent donut business by investing into a community money pool, but unforeseen events turn blessings into a nightmare.
A Loyola Marymount University Thesis Film
About Tontine
If you’ve ever been to a Cambodian-owned doughnut shop, fried chicken restaurantor jewelry store, there’s a good chance it was financed by a tontine.
In Cambodia, “tontine” is the name given to a rotating savings and credit association, or ROSCA, an ancient practice that has different versions all over the world. The general concept is that by contributing to a monthly pool that pays a lump sum to a single member, people can make and receive loans as well as earn interest on savings.
The lending circles are especially prevalent in the Cambodian community, where many people don’t use banks because of language barriers and a distrust of institutions caused by genocide and economic instability in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
In Los Angeles, diverse neighborhoods probably wouldn’t exist today without ROSCAs, which are most often run by women. When banks wouldn’t lend to minorities, the kye helped Koreatown business owners cluster in central Los Angeles. The hui helped finance Chinatown, and tanomoshis helped start some of Little Tokyo’s early businesses.
Trailer
Meet the Team
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Soun Kim Oeng
WRITER & PRODUCER
Soun Oeng (he/him) is a LA born writer-producer of Khmer, Thai and Chinese descent. Raised by refugee survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide, he spent most of his childhood behind the counter of his parent’s donut shop. Therefore, he understands the value of a dollar bill and is no stranger to the pursuit of the American Dream. His writing is shaped by a strong multi- cultural identity and focuses on culturally nuanced stories about minority communities.
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Rebecca Murga
DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
Rebecca Murga (she/her) is a Chicago-born, Latinx, WGA writer who spent three years deployed in the Army to conflict zones and knows first hand the effects of war on refugee survivors. A daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant, she is a passionate advocate for veterans and women's issues with articles published in The New York Times, The Global Journal and most appeared on CBS and ABC for her work in Afghan Refugee resettlement. She has written on SWAGGER, an Apple TV+ series and is an alumni of directing fellowships including the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, the ABC Directing Program, and Dan Lin’s Rideback Pilot program.
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Kevin Yiu
PRODUCER
Kevin Yiu (he/she/they) is a queer Chinese American producer/director/writer originally from Hong Kong. His storytelling is inspired by his experience of moving to America and finding his identity as a gay Asian. His point of view is unapologetically queer, and he loves exploring dark, paradoxical characters through drama and comedy..
thank you…
…to everyone who contributed in the making of this film. We could not have done it without you.
Please click the link below to watch the film with our gratitude and thanks. (for seed and spark donors only)
