S-21, la machine de mort Khmère rouge (2003)

Director:

Rithy Panh

Writer:

Rithy Panh (writer)

Release Date:

30 January 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Plot:

Documentary of the S-21 genocide prison in Phnom Penh with interviews of prisoners and guards. On the search for reasons why this could have happened.

Plot Keywords:

Cambodia | Genocide | Khymer | War Crimes | Historical

Awards:

12 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Khieu 'Poev' Ches	...	Himself - Guard
Yeay Cheu	...	Herself - Him Houy's Mother
Nhiem Ein	...	Himself - Photographer
Houy Him	...	Himself - Security deputy
Ta Him	...	Himself - Him Houy's Father
Nhieb Ho	...	Himself - Guard
Prakk Kahn	...	Himself - the Torturer
Peng Kry	...	Himself - Driver
Som Meth	...	Himself - Guard
Chum Mey	...	Himself - Survivor
Vann Nath	...	Himself - Survivor
Top Pheap	...	Himself - Interrogator & Typist
Tcheam Seur	...	Himself - Guard
Mak Thim	...	Himself - S21 Doctor
Sours Thi	...	Himself - Head of Registers

Also Known As:

S21: The Khmer Rouge Death Machine (International: English title)
S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (USA) (festival title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Cambodia | France

Language:

Khmer | Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Choeung Ek Killling Fields, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Company:

Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA)

The Banality of Evil.

I have read the other comments on here and think that many people missed the point. This documentary illustrated the banality of evil very powerfully; it did not preach or try to shove the makers' opinion down the viewers' throat, like SO many other so-called documentaries do. This is not one of those "documentaries" which show edited footage and historical footage as a mere backdrop to put forth someone's opinion. That's what made it so powerful, to see the people who committed this incomprehensible evil and those that suffered it asking their own questions, trying to make sense of it all, trying to justify it, analyzing their roles in real time as the cameras roll. It was very evident that this was the first time many of them had questioned themselves on what they had done. The repetitive re-enactment and explanation of the guard's day to day activities were horrific in their normality. Even after all these years, after all that's happened, these men had no qualms about showing the world their routines, making it obvious that they don't equate their actions directly to the effects it had on their fellow country men and women. One has to remember that the guards were brain washed and indoctrinated by the communists at a very young age. This can be directly equated with what's happening in the world today with militant Islam. They're creating their own amoral killers and fanatics by indoctrinating and brain washing children. If nothing else, this documentary shows how once indoctrinated at a young age with fanatical ideology, all that remains for the rest of that persons life is an empty shell incapable of comprehending basic humanity.