00:09Hello everyone.
00:10Today I'm taking you to Cambodia, near Siem Reap.
00:15where the jungle surrounds the ancient temples
00:18and where the earth still seems to hold the memory of centuries past.
00:22There, between the rice paddies, the dirt paths, and the tall trees covered in vines,
00:27An old legend continues to circulate.
00:31A story told in hushed tones at night,
00:34when the wind rises and the forest becomes silent.
00:38It is said that a witch lives in the heart of this forest.
00:42But beware, not a witch like in the fairy tales we all know.
00:47The one in Siem Reap is neither really good nor really bad.
00:52She is something else, an ancient presence, a guardian.
00:57A woman connected to the earth, to the trees, to the seasons
01:00and to all the secrets that the forest refuses to reveal.
01:04The villagers say that, on certain full moon nights,
01:08when the sounds of the animals subside and the air becomes almost still,
01:13She appears.
01:14Some say that she traces signs in the sky.
01:18as if she were speaking with the spirits of the earth.
01:21Others say that she walks silently between the tree trunks.
01:24She watches those who dare to venture too far.
01:27In the villages around Siem Reap,
01:30Many still come to leave offerings for him.
01:32A bowl of rice, a little water, sometimes a handmade item.
01:37These are not merely gestures of belief,
01:40It's a way of showing respect.
01:42One way of saying,
01:44We do not forget that this earth is alive,
01:46that she gives, but that she also asks to be listened to.
01:49Because in this story, the witch does more than just frighten people.
01:54It also protects.
01:55It protects rice paddies, forests, and nocturnal animals.
02:00and all those ancient plants whose virtues are gradually being lost over time.
02:05It is even said that some young people, driven by doubt, fear, or hope,
02:11They sometimes burrow under the trees during the night.
02:14There, in the dust of the ground, they write their names.
02:18as if to entrust their dreams, their sorrows or their questions to the forest.
02:23And sometimes, the witch appears.
02:27Not like a monster, not like a threat,
02:30but as a reminder.
02:32A reminder that nature is not only beautiful.
02:35She is fragile, powerful, and she deserves respect.
02:39Fear can sometimes be protective.
02:41But indifference destroys everything.
02:45From village to village, the stories are similar.
02:48without ever being quite the same.
02:51Here, we're talking about a man who supposedly betrayed the forest.
02:54and who would have experienced a sudden downpour in the middle of the dry season,
03:00as a warning.
03:02Here, they tell the story of a young girl
03:05guided by strange rustling of leaves,
03:08would have discovered a secret path
03:11which leads to a place where memories take shape.
03:15In all these stories,
03:17The witch is neither a criminal nor a savior.
03:22It is a border, a living memory.
03:26one way, for the elders,
03:28to remind everyone that the earth never belongs to those who cross it.
03:32And in the evening, around the fire, when the flames flicker in the darkness,
03:37The children listen to these stories with their eyes wide open.
03:41They hear about the witch of Siem-Rip,
03:45immense trees, endless rice paddies
03:48and of that discreet magic that still inhabits the place.
03:52A magic that is not there to dominate men,
03:55but to teach them respect,
03:58to live with patience
04:00and to listen to what the wind,
04:02The leaves and the silence still have something to say.
04:06That's why the witch of Siem-Rip
04:09remains today
04:10such a fascinating figure.
04:13Because she embodies both fear,
04:16memory,
04:17protection and mystery.
04:19And above all, because of its legend
04:21reminds us of one essential thing.
04:23Every step taken on earth counts immediately.
04:27The Witch of Siem-Rip
04:45Under the vines and the stones
04:48Where the old gods sleep
04:51The wind glides in prayer
04:55In the silent temples
04:57In the middle of the rice paddies
05:01When the moon cuts through the night
05:05A shadow follows the river
05:07And the forest smiled at him
05:11His name is whispered.
05:14Like a secret that we know
05:18A memory that erases
05:21The oaths that were betrayed
05:24The Witch of Siem-Rip
05:27Present at the heart of the oldest
05:32In her hands the earth writes
05:34Cambodian promises
05:38The Witch of Siem-Rip
05:41Neither demon nor queen in distress
05:44She keeps it in the night
05:47The wounds and the seeds
05:51The villagers on the way
05:54They leave behind clear water from the riser
05:58To soothe her face
06:01And the wrath of the earth
06:05The children near the flame
06:09They listen to his story tremble
06:12Like a heartbeat in the soul
06:15Like an ember in the dark
06:19If your heart rises to the forest
06:22If your hand takes its respect
06:25Heaven knows you
06:28And the wind follows your every step
06:33The Witch of Siem-Rip
06:35Present at the heart of the oldest
06:39In her hands the earth writes
06:41Cambodian promises
06:45The Witch of Siem-Rip
06:48Neither demon nor queen in distress
06:52She keeps it in the night
06:55The wounds and the seeds
06:59She doesn't need a crown
07:02Neither light nor fire
07:03It is the jungle that gives it
07:05The language of the ancient gods
07:07And if sometimes fear resonates
07:08It's to teach the proud
07:10May the earth forgive
07:12And never forget the eyes
07:15The Witch of Siem-Rip
07:17Keep watch at the edge of the deep waters
07:21In its fields, the night gathers
07:23The lost secrets of the world
07:27The Witch of Siem-Rip
07:31Under the wandering stars
07:34It makes things bloom into infinity
07:37The memory of fertile lands
07:42When the wind passes through the trees
07:45Listen carefully without making a sound
07:48Perhaps far away in the twilight
07:51She is the one who is still watching over us tonight.
07:56Subtitling by Radio-Canada
08:00Subtitling by Radio-Canada
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