Mao Ayuth

Mao Ayuth was born on 8 July 1944 in Srey Sonthor District, Kampong Cham Province, in what was then the French protectorate of Cambodia. After graduating from a screenwriting programme in 1965, Ayuth began his career as an assistant at National Television of Cambodia, going on to become a programme director. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, Ayuth established the governmental Department of Cinema alongside Ieu Pannakar. He initially intended to return to filmmaking, but the lack of funding for the arts following the collapse of the regime meant that his second film was not released until 1988. Chet Chang Cham (; "I Want to Remember") followed a man trying to survive the Khmer Rouge regime, and was popular among Cambodian audiences. == Later life and politics ==

In 1993, following a period working as director of National Television of Cambodia, Ayuth was appointed secretary of state in the Ministry of Information. During his tenure, he continued to produce art, including films, music videos, television programmes, novels, and poems. He also served for a period as president of the Association of Television Stations of Cambodia. At the time of his death, Ayuth was developing a government-funded television series documenting the film of Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia. == Personal life and death ==

Ayuth was married to So Samony and had four daughters and one son. ==References==