A hopeful and inspiring story about reclaiming identity, preserving tradition, and creating lasting change through music.
Where The Roots Lie
Directed by Tori La Desma & Katy Harliss
Where the Roots Lie is a story of resilience, identity, and hope. Following the women of Cambodia's first and only female drum troupe, Medha, the film explores how music can challenge tradition, preserve culture, and create new possibilities for the next generation. Set against Cambodia's flourishing original music movement, Where the Roots Lie is a powerful reminder that art has the ability to heal, bridge cultures, and inspire lasting change.
About the Film
Meet the Team
Where the Roots Lie is the debut feature documentary from two female filmmakers based in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Committed to authentic collaboration, the directors assembled an entirely Cambodian crew, working alongside local artists and filmmakers to ensure the story was told from within the community it celebrates.
Katy Harliss - Director / Producer
I was born on the East Coast and moved to California at 14, where I stayed until moving to Atlanta just over two years ago with my husband and (now) two children. That’s the short version of where I’m from. My upbringing included strong artistic influences: my father tuned pianos for some of the world’s musical giants, and my grandparents were professional opera singers in Russia. As an actor myself, my love for the arts took shape at a young age when I discovered how powerful the mix of storytelling through performance—specifically in TV & film—could be.
I began pursuing acting professionally after college. The power of artistic expression and its ability to influence change while bridging connections otherwise considered impossible has always been one of my biggest creative motivators. This, paired with a curious spirit and deep love of Cambodia, ultimately led me to directing and documentary filmmaking. Once Tori and I figured out that we saw the beauty of Cambodia and our vision for Where The Roots Lie through the same lens, a creative fire was lit within us that has been unstoppable.
Tori La Desma - Director / Producer
I was born and raised in Santa Barbara but have been happily gallivanting and building my artistic community in LA for the past 13 years. Acting has always been home, and after spending over a decade dancing Flamenco, I became obsessed with how art can say the things words can't.
I'm also incapable of sitting still, so solo travel became my favourite hobby…which is how I accidentally fell in love with Cambodia. One trip somehow turned into eight years, countless flights, and our first documentary. We set out to tell a story about the healing power of art, and somewhere along the way, we found our second home. Aside from our incredible, amazing crew on set - this has been a two woman production with Katy and I leading and manuevering this process every step of the way!
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