My Hero Teacher

Rithy Chesda is a 60-year-old high school teacher that has taught 12th grade Khmer literature for most of his career. Mr. Thy has 4 children, his eldest son also teaches at the same school as him, his eldest daughter has her own family and his youngest children, twins, are studying in his 12th grade class. His wife, Mach, sells deserts (onsom) as a means of extra income at the local market. They both dream of publishing a book entailing of the hardships during and after the Khmer Rouge Regime before retiring as they have written this book since 1979. Despite their hardships in life, Mr. Thy’s family is full of happiness and positivity with loving siblings. The family is strong willed and is well mannered from Mr. Thy’s lessons. Mr. Thy however, was in debt as he one day received a letter from an old friend, Chai, requesting that he pay off his debts for him. Mr. Chai had fled the country to the United States with some money he had borrowed. Mr. Thy decides to use the funds he had saved up for his children’s university’s fund to pay off Chai’s debt but it had turned out that his wife, Mach, had lent it to their neighbor. Those neighbors scammed Mach out of all their money. Eventually the debt collectors, whom of which were teachers at the school as well, came to accumulate their money from Mr. Thy. On top of Mr. Thy’s debt, his eldest daughter had brought her 5-month baby for him to look after as she has to set out to look for her missing husband. Kosma, Mr. Thy’s youngest daughter, is a beautiful and smart young woman who often worries about her father’s troubles. Kosma is often bullied for her father’s debt by classmates as they have taken Kosma and Mr. Thy as a laughing stock but her best friend, Chany, is always by her side to keep her spirits up. Chany comes from a wealthy family, with a father who is an Oknha but with a step mother who has no care for her. Knowing of her father’s debt, Kosma steps out of her moral standings and steals test answers to sell to her classmates. Kosma is caught and faces expulsion but her father sacrifices his reputation to save his daughter. Chany feeling great sorrow for Kosma and her family, steals her step mother’s diamond ring to sell but had misplaced it in her home. Mr. Thy, as a tutor of Chany that often enters and leaves the house, finds the ring outside and is thrilled. The family soon learns that the ring could’ve be sold for $50,000, but the excitement is short lived as a police report has been filed for the missing ring. Chany’s step mother had sent out a warrant for the arrest of Chany. After learning this, Mr. Thy decides to help hide Chany for the time being until the final exams. Chany’s life changes for the better as she lives a modest life style, learning how to live frugally with Mr. Thy’s family as well as feeling love and warmth that she hasn’t felt before with her own family. Eventually, police would find Chany at Mr. Thy’s house but Mr. Thy is not phased and still tries to hide Chany. Chany however, decides to turn herself in and confesses to stealing the ring. After learning the reason behind his daughter’s actions, Chany’s father forgives her and decides to give the ring to Kosma. Chany’s father also fulfills Mr. Thy’s dream by publishing his book. At the end of it all, Mr. Thy receives money from Chai to pay off his debt not knowing that Chai had sent it.