Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - New online documentary service launches across Southeast Asia

New online documentary service launches across Southeast Asia

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The iwonder interface, allowing users to choose from a selection of international documentaries. Photo supplied

New online documentary service launches across Southeast Asia

With easy internet accessibility and fast-growing tech communities in the Kingdom, people who are willing to pay for entertaining and educational content can now try a new documentary video streaming service.

Having hit film lovers in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore earlier this year, iwonder.com launched on Monday in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The uniquely curated content boasts more than 1,000 documentaries in its archives, including five films from Cambodia.

The 75-minute film released in 2017, Rocking Cambodia: the rise of a pop diva sheds light on the struggle to overcome poverty, trauma and obscurity with an Australian wandering musician Julien Poulson and Khmer Karaoke girl Srey Thy.

Though Srey Thy passed away in a tuk-tuk accident in 2018, the rock star has always been remembered, especially by expatriates, in Cambodia.

Another interesting historical film is a documentary with archival footage and photographs filmed by French director Gaston Melies. He went on a 10-month adventure between 1912-1913 around the Asia-Pacific, shooting documentaries and fiction with locals including Polynesians, Maoris, Aborigines and Khmers.

It resulted in the 43-minute film Gaston Melies and His Wandering Star Film Company, which was released in 2015.

“iwonder.com provides great entertainment along with the opportunity to learn something new about our ever-changing world. We work hard to find the best documentaries from all over the world so that our customers don’t have to,” its co-founder and CEO James Bridges said.

To help viewers get in-depth knowledge beyond educational entertainment, the streaming service also combines trending news stories happening locally and around the world with relevant documentary suggestions.

“And by keeping our finger on the pulse of daily global developments to fill our unique homepage newsfeed, the films we serve up are never far from the headlines,” he said.

Bridges highlighted the uniqueness of the content in his documentary video streaming platform.

The films are classified into some 50 genres, such as adventure, culture, crime, nature, science, technology, climate change, sports, politics, business, music and health.

The factual entertainment content helps to keep viewers up-to-date with global and regional current affairs, such as the 1MDB scandal, Hong Kong protests, Brexit, the “Me Too” movement, climate change and more.

But what makes its co-founder thrilled are the service’s major movies – such as Untouchable, about the infamous Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Bridges said: “Dominating global headlines for months, the scandal along with a chronology of events are stranger and more outrageous than fiction.

“This unique ability to entertain and inform in a way that stays relevant to the real-world sets iwonder.com apart from other streaming services, giving viewers in Cambodia access to top-rated content with something to say.”

A Cambodian documentary film producer Koam Chanraksmey, who was just introduced to the platform, expressed excitement over the arrival of more educational video streaming.

“I think the price [iwonder.com’s subscription fee] is very competitive compared to Netflix. I am surprised that it also included content from Cambodia.

“I wonder how many documentaries were produced in Cambodia, and how they selected from those for their platform.

“I think, as long as they have more content from Cambodia, it will help foreigners and especially Cambodians to understand more about their country,” said the 30-year-old documentary producer, who subscribes to a few video streaming platforms for inspiration.

With a one-month free trial and then a low $4.99 per month, or $49.90 for an annual subscription, iwonder.com is available on a mobile and tablet application through the iwonder app on both iOS and Android.

Big screen users can enjoy the content on the iwonder.com website.

MOST VIEWED

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • PM declares ASEAN Para Games open

    The 12th ASEAN Para Games officially kicked off on the evening of June 3 at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring fireworks and performances by some of the Kingdom’s most accomplished talents. Tens of thousands of sports fans

  • Honda shutters Siem Reap football club

    Japanese football legend Keisuke Honda, the owner of Siem Reap football club Soltilo Angkor FC, has been forced to shut the club down, after it failed to attract sponsorship for the upcoming season. Honda, the former manager of the Cambodia men's national football team, said

  • Waterway job still pending for Kampot tourism port’s opening

    The search is still on for a contractor to expand and deepen the Kampot International Tourism Port’s waterway and deliver additional enhancements allowing safe access for larger vessels, nearly a year after the main construction work on the 4.25ha site was completed on June 30, 2022.