First They Killed My Father

(2017) is based on a true story set in Cambodia in 1975. It features the horrendous life of 5-year-old Loung Ung, played by Sareum Srey Moch, during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Following World War II, Cambodia has suffered through endeavors against French colonization and the influences of Vietnam. In addition to the international conflicts, leaders of Cambodia were fighting with one another for power. When the Communist Party of Kampuchea, informally known as the Khmer Rouge, took over Phnom Penh, destruction was brought upon the innocent in order to establish an agrarian utopia. The proceedings for an agrarian utopia led to the deaths of two million Cambodians in just a 4-year period. The Khmer Rouge ultimately led the people in the destruction of their culture, religion, and trust of one another. Starvation, disease, torture, execution, and other cruel acts were lashed upon the Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge. As we witness the reality of Loung Ung’s struggle to survive as a child soldier, we also witness genocide and war.

Angelina Jolie delivers another magnificent and historically significant film that disseminates the cultural and historical aspects of Cambodia. We have seen numerous foreign language films, but only a few have truly captivated the horrid past of my cultural history.

First They Killed My Father

(2017), based on the book by Loung Ung, was selected as the Best Foreign Language Film for the upcoming 90th Academy Awards that will take place on March 4, 2018.

The leading actress, Sareum Srey Moch, plays her first role in

First They Killed My Father

. Despite her youthfulness as a nine year old actress,she successfully displays her capabilities as the main protagonist in the film. Her acting highlights the sentiments of the victims of the Khmer Rouge through the eyes of a child.

Loung Ung maintains an apathetic expression despite life-threatening circumstances. As the Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh, Loung’s bourgeoisie family had to conceal their status in order to avoid suspicion. For a child acting her age, she is reserved and rather expressionless. She does not expose her family in the slightest. There are only few instances in which she expresses herself. Even when her father is led to his execution, she is able to avoid showing her weakness in front of the Khmer Rouge. It is her self-control that enables her to appear unscathed by the violence that she witnesses. During one scene, she and her sister are traveling to another camp, obeying their mother’s order by claiming to be orphans. She becomes the spokesperson for her sister. She is extremely clever as she heeds the advice of the people around her who help her survive. She was deemed by one of the Khmer Rouge member as “strong, independent, and a valuable member of the Communist Party.” This recognition allowed Loung Ung to avoid execution and starvation, thus increasing her chances of survival. If it were not for Sareum Srey Moch, the demeanor of Loung Ung would not have fully expressed the sentiments surrounding the Khmer Rouge, which are vital to the integrity of the story.

The filmmaking is what allows the audience to truly appreciate and immerse themselves in the plot of the story. At the beginning of the film, her flashbacks were of her family enjoying the simplest things that they were grateful for. The effects of these flashbacks created the image of her innocence. As a child, she deserves to be happy. She deserves to not have to worry about hunger or death. As the story progresses, her nightmares are centered on what the Khmer Rouge had taken away from her. She was no longer able to think of happiness like an average kid would. Loung is no longer an innocent child.

Overall, this film truly pulls on the heartstrings of its audience, including me, an 18 year old Cambodian-American college student. The story allows me to understand how the aftermath of the Cambodian Genocide plagues my parents and my grandparents to this day. Angelina Jolie has done the impossible by recreating a difficult but important history and calling for sentiments and empathy for the living in the moment. This film has done a fascinating job in maintaining the integrity of Cambodian cultural history.