When one thinks of Cambodia, two things typically spring to mind:
Angkor Wat, the Hindu-Buddhist wonder of the world that have stood the test of time for near a millennium. The temples display the architectural, agricultural and engineering marvels that the Angkor-Khmer people accomplished.
Regrettably, the other thing that springs to mind is the Khmer Rouge: a Maoist/Communist guerilla group that ruled Cambodia for 4 years, destroying the country and subsequently itself. They were led by a French-educated tyrant known to the world as Pol Pot.
This movie focuses on the life of a young mother and her children during the Khmer Rouge time. It is viewed from her perspective and the hardships they endure should be placed on no one.
To give you an idea, without spoiling the movie. The Khmer Rouge believed their reign would establish an agrarian revolution worldwide. They were communist in nature, and all Khmer people were sent out from the cities to work the land. Intellectuals and bourgeois were killed, as were foreigners and remaining soldiers and workers from the former government.
The Khmer Rouge declared it "year zero." Religion, family, capital and wealth were eliminated. Infrastructure was neglected at best or sold like the railways. Children put into "education camps." Citizens forced to work 12+ hours a day. Complaints, injuries or sickness led to death. Starvation and disease were widespread. Marriages nulled and families torn apart; new marriages forced.
Angkar in Khmer means, "organization," and was the name given to the Khmer Rouge by the Khmer Rouge. All credit and praise were given to the Angkar. It was a personality cult without a head. The soldiers and leaders were typically teenagers or sometimes even younger. Pol Pot, although the leader, wasn't known to the Khmer people nor the international community until most of the horrors of Angkar became known.
By the end of the Khmer Rouge period, a quarter of Khmer people had lost their lives, either to violent means or starvation. Even more Khmer people fled, with huge refugee communities going to USA, France, New Zealand and Australia.
This film does a very good job of showing a lot of this from the young mother's perspective. I highly recommend it.
Angkor Wat, the Hindu-Buddhist wonder of the world that have stood the test of time for near a millennium. The temples display the architectural, agricultural and engineering marvels that the Angkor-Khmer people accomplished.
Regrettably, the other thing that springs to mind is the Khmer Rouge: a Maoist/Communist guerilla group that ruled Cambodia for 4 years, destroying the country and subsequently itself. They were led by a French-educated tyrant known to the world as Pol Pot.
This movie focuses on the life of a young mother and her children during the Khmer Rouge time. It is viewed from her perspective and the hardships they endure should be placed on no one.
To give you an idea, without spoiling the movie. The Khmer Rouge believed their reign would establish an agrarian revolution worldwide. They were communist in nature, and all Khmer people were sent out from the cities to work the land. Intellectuals and bourgeois were killed, as were foreigners and remaining soldiers and workers from the former government.
The Khmer Rouge declared it "year zero." Religion, family, capital and wealth were eliminated. Infrastructure was neglected at best or sold like the railways. Children put into "education camps." Citizens forced to work 12+ hours a day. Complaints, injuries or sickness led to death. Starvation and disease were widespread. Marriages nulled and families torn apart; new marriages forced.
Angkar in Khmer means, "organization," and was the name given to the Khmer Rouge by the Khmer Rouge. All credit and praise were given to the Angkar. It was a personality cult without a head. The soldiers and leaders were typically teenagers or sometimes even younger. Pol Pot, although the leader, wasn't known to the Khmer people nor the international community until most of the horrors of Angkar became known.
By the end of the Khmer Rouge period, a quarter of Khmer people had lost their lives, either to violent means or starvation. Even more Khmer people fled, with huge refugee communities going to USA, France, New Zealand and Australia.
This film does a very good job of showing a lot of this from the young mother's perspective. I highly recommend it.
