Vanishing Act

Cambodia's mystic class of sorcerers, mediums, fortunetellers, and monks channel spirits, read fortunes in numbers and cards, and inscribe enchantments in flesh. But technology and modernity are quickly encroaching on their territory. Vanishing Act documents Cambodian lives, traditions, and rituals, painting vivid portraits of men and women who live with one foot in the mundane and another in the magical. From Song Sokheng, who channels two childlike spirits, to a sorcerer who relies on numerology (and a healthy respect for authority) to care for nine wives and their children, Vanishing Act contains eye-opening accounts of traditions that face an uncertain future.